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THE PRINCE 





OF 



OR, 


THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 

> 

BEING 

A SERIES OF THE LETTERS OF ADINA, A JEWESS OF ALEXANDRIA, SUPPOSED TO 
BE SOJOURNING IN JERUSALEM IN THE DAYS OF HEROD, ADDR ESSED 
TO HER FATHER, A WEALTHY JEW IN EGYPT, 

AND RELATING, AS IF BY AN EYE-WITNESS, 

ALL THE SCENES AND WONDERFUL INCIDENTS 

IN THE 

LIFE OF JESUS OF NAZARETH, 

FROM HIS 

baptism iu forbait to Jib Crucifmoit oit Calbarg, 

BY REV. J. H. INGRAHAM, , . 

\ ' 

Rector of Christ Church , and of St. Thomas' Hall, Holly Springs, Miss. 


CAREFULLY REVISED AND- CORRECTED BY” THE AUTHOR, EXPRESSLY FOR 

THIS NEW EDITION. 


NEW YORK: 

PUDNEY & RUSSELL PUBLISHERS. 

H. DAYTON GENERAL AGENT, 

107 NASSAU STREET. 

1 8 5 9. 

* » \ 


> ) 
> » • 



PUDNEY & RUSSELL, 

In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States, for the Southern 
District of New -York. 



) 




7 


TO 

THE DAUGHTERS OF ISRAEL, 

THE COUNTRY-WOMEN OP 

MARY, THE MOTHER OP JESUS, 

Si his. J^jaak. 

IS INSCRIBED BY THE EDITOR, 

WHO TRUSTS THAT, WITH ADINA, THEY 

AS WELL AS 

THE UNBELIEVING GENTILE. 

MAY BE PERSUADED AS THEY READ 

THAT 


“THIS IS THE VERY CHRIST 



PREFACE TO THE NEW ISSUE. 


The Letters comprising the present volume 
were written for the purpose of presenting, per- 
haps, in a new aspect, and from a new point of 
view, the advent of the Son of Mary, Christ the 
Lord, among the people of Judea. It was the 
editor’s hope, in writing them, to tempt the 
daughters of Israel to read what he wrote, and 
receive and be convinced by the arguments and 
proofs of the divinity of Christ, as here pre- 
sented. For the Israelite as well as the Gentile 
believer this volume appears ; and if it may be 
the means of convincing one son or daughter 
of Abraham to accept Jesus as Messias, or con- 
vince the infidel Gentile that He is the very Son 


X 


PREFACE. 


of the God and Creator of the world, he will 
have received his reward for the midnight hours, 
taken amidst parochial labors, which he has de- 
voted to this work. 

Most of the scenes of the life of Jesus during 
the last four years of his stay on earth, as re- 
corded in the Gospel, are here narrated as if by 
an eye-witness of them. 

Adina, fhe writer, a Jewess, is assumed to 
have been a resident of Jerusalem during the 
last four years of our Saviour’s life ; and to have 
written to Alexandria, to her father, numerous 
letters, describing all events of interest, and 
especially giving a minute narrative of the won- 
derful events of the life of Christ, whom she 
daily saw. 

With sacred awe and deep reverence, as con- 
scious of treading on “ holy ground,” the writer 
has unfolded, with the four Gospels as his guide, 
the successive incidents of their marvellous His- 
tory, such as no four years, before or since, have 
paralleled. 

Jesus was man , as well as God ! In this book 
He Js seen, and conversed with, as a man ! 


PREFACE. 


xi 


The chief aim of this work is to prove the di- 
vinity of our Lord through his humanity: for 
“ never man spake like this man.” 

There can he no charge of irreverence where 
none is intended, and where the writer has trod 
“ with his shoes off his feet,” and with the most 
cautious steps. 

The subject is one of infinite delicacy, and 
the writer believes and trusts, that while he 
has sought to present (in order to attain the end 
he seeks) the man Christ Jesus, he has not for- 
gotten the “ Godhead veiled in the flesh.” 

The present issue of the “ Prince of the 
House of David” has undergone, by the author, 
a thorough and complete revision. He has 
taken advantage in the review of every judi- 
cious criticism which this work has elicited since 
its first appearance in October, 1855. He has 
also availed himself of the hints and suggestions 
contained in numerous private letters from emi- 
nent and learned men of various denominations 
of Christians, who have done him the honor to 
address him upon the work, and to point out 
errors or suggest alterations and improvements 


PREFACE. 


xii 

Critiques, written in a spirit of severity and bit- 
terness, yet healthy in their results, he has 
cheerfully accepted ; being grateful for this de- 
tection of faults which his own eye and taste 
had overlooked. 

It is but due to the author to say, that the first 
editions were not revised nor even proof-read by 
him, his residence at the time of their publica- 
tion not being in New- York, but on the shores of 
the Gulf of Mexico. Many errors, of necessity, 
crept into the book, which careful personal in- 
spection of the sheets by the author, as they 
passed through the press, would have detected. 
And although he is still residing in the South, 
and unable to watch the pages of the new issue 
through the hands of the printer, yet he has 
taken great precaution to have the work rigidly 
read in its progress through the type, and be- 
lieves that it will make its appearance with the 
accuracy with which it has left his hands. 


Holly Springs , Mississippi , 
September , 1858. 


TABLE OF CONTENTS. 


INTRODUCTION. 

Adina ; the Writer of the following Letters — Her Family — Jour- 
ney to Jerusalem — The Romans — The City of David’s Tower — 
Pilate’s Palace — The Hill of Calvary — Gethsemane — Bethlehem — 
The Damascus Gate — The Roman Guard — Arrival at the House of 
her Friends — Description of her Beauty — Letters to her Father— 
pp. 25 — 31. 

LETTER I. 

Account of the Journey from Alexandria to Jerusalem — Gaza — 
Joseph’s Well — The Dead Sea — Jordan — Emotions on beholding 
the Holy City — Rabbi Amos — Desecration of the Temple — Sacri- 
fices for Sin — A Prophet of God preaching near Jordan — pp. 
33—39. 


LETTER II. 

Rabbi Ben Israel’s Return — Happiness with Rabbi Amos — Re- 
becca — Mary — View from the Residence — Scene from the House- 
top at Morning — The Sacrifice and Temple-worship at Sunrise — 
Evening Sacrifice and Worship — Idol-worship at the Roman 
Castle near the Temple — Prophecies fulfilled — Under a Cloud — 
The Messenger foretold by Malachi — Elijah the Prophet — Rabbi 
Amos acknowledges the Corruption of the Priests — Decay of Rev- 
erence — A Young Man who has heard the New Prophet near 
Jericho — pp. 39 — 48. 


XIV 


CONTENTS. 


LETTER III. 

Presentation of the First Fruits — Tower of Antonia — Insult 
from a Homan Soldier — Protection afforded by a Youthful Roman 
Centurion — Pageant of the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate — The 
New Prophet, as described by John the Cousin of Mary — He 
gives a Full Account of his Journey to the Jordan — Arrival at 
Jericho — pp. 49 — 58. 


LETTER IY. 

Death of Rabbi Israel — Extract from her Father’s Letter con- 
cerning the New Prophet — Continuation of John’s Account of his 
Visit to Jordan to see the New Prophet — The Twelve Stones of 
the Jordan — Description of the Prophet — His Sermon — “Art thou 
not Elias?” — “Messiah?” — Generation of Vipers — A Woe to the 
Priests — “ The Lord of our Righteousness ” — One Thousand Bap- 
tized — Joseph of Arimathea — A Second Sermon at Evening — 
pp. 58 — 72. 


LETTER Y. 

Blessing in the Name of the Lamb of God — Joseph of Arima- 
thea — Conversation with the Prophet — lie sings the Evening 
Hymn of the Temple — Hymn of Praise — Conversation with the 
Prophet concerning Messiah — His Death — His Kingdom not of 
this World — The Prophet retires to the Desert — Appearance of 
Lazarus — His Explanations of the Prophecies — Taught by his 
Friend — Description of this Friend — Jesus, the Nazarenc — Con- 
flict of Mind — Studying the Prophets — pp. 72 — 89. 


CONTENTS. 


XV 


LETTER VI. 

Ben Israel — Answer to her Father’s Letter against this “Nov- 
elty ” — Extract from his Letter — Reply — Indignation against the 
Prophet among the Priests and Levites — Messengers are sent to 
invite Him to Jerusalem — His Answer — He is accused of Sedition 
— The Messengers declare their Conversion and Baptism — They 
are arrested — Conversations and Discussions at the House of 
Rabbi Amos — Stephen — The Prophet performs no Miracles — 
Rabbi Amos going to Gilgal — Adina and Mary going with Him — 
They expect to see the Prophet — The Roman Centurion Reading 
the Scriptures — He would like to hear the Prophet — Barabbas, 
the Robber — The Escort — pp. 89 — 102. 

LETTER VII. 

The Messiah has come ! — Recount of the Visit to J ordan — 
Adina, Mary, and John, go with Rabbi Amos — Escorted by the 
Roman Centurion — Barabbas — Two Gibeonite Servants — Glimpse 
of Caiaphas — Turtle Doves and Young Pigeons — Blind Bartimeus 
and his Lamb — The Sheep Gate — iEmilius — Roman Soldiers — 
Bethesda — The Moving of the Waters — Absalom’s Pillar — Joined 
by the Escort — pp. 102 — 113. 

LETTER VIII. 

Continuation of the Account — Edomite Robbers — View from 
Bethany — Conversation with the Centurion — Hope of his Conver- 
sion — Repose at the House of Rabbi Abel — Attractions of the 
Family — Lazarus, Martha, Mary — Embroidery for the Temple — 
Copies of the Law and the Psalms — Present for the Wife of Pilate 
— “ I. N.,” Jesus of Nazareth — Lazarus accompanies them — 
Gamaliel — Saul — Arrival at Jericho — Gilgal — Barabbas — Going 
to Bethabara — pp. 113 — 125. 


xvi 


CONTENTS. 


LETTER IX. 

The Way to Bethabara — Matthew, the Publican — Judas Iscariot 
— The Tower of Elijah — Vast Multitude — Description of the 
Prophet — His Sermon — ‘“'Behold the Lamb of God!” — The Bap 
tism of Christ — The Dove — The Voice from Heaven — Jesus disap- 
pears — pp. 125 — 135. 


LETTER X . 

Adina believes in the Christ — The Voice and the Dove — John 
and Lazarus follow Jesus — The excited Multitude disperse — Babbi 
Amos converses with the Prophet — John and Lazarus overtake 
Jesus in the Wilderness — He sends them back from following 
Him — Mystery — pp. 135 — 143. 

LETTER XI. 

Return to Gilgal — John, Lazarus, Gamaliel, Saul, and Others — 
Discussion on the Prophecies concerning the Messiah — Sorcery — 
“ Thou art my Son — Born in Bethlehem — Of the Seed of David 
— Miracles? — Difference of Opinion — Return to Jericho — The 
Beautiful Mary — Waiting for Jesus — pp. 143 — 152. 

LETTER XII. 

Adina’s Father refuses to believe — Meeting of all the Prophecies 
— John tells them of his finding Jesus in the Desert — He is worn 
do-wn by Fasting and Sorrow — Jesus returns — John follows Him 
as His Disciple— Hymn of Praise— Pilate’s Message to Caiaphas 
— The Answer — Development of Power — pp. 152 161. 


CONTENTS. 


XVII 


LETTER XIII. 

“A Man of Sorrows, and acquainted with Grief” — A Miracle 
— The Carpenter’s Tools — Andrew, Simon, Philip, Nathaniel, 
James, and John — The Mother of Jesus — Cana — Elizabeth — The 
Water turned into Wine — Thirty Priests studying the Prophe- 
cies— pp. 161 — 171. 


LETTER XIY. 

Fame of Jesus increases — He is attended by Thousands — Cures 
and Miracles — The Lame Man restored — John’s Account of His 
Miracles — He Casts out Devils — They confess Him — Visit of the 
Magi — The Murder of the Innocents — Escape of Jesus — Summary 
of Evidence proving that Jesus is the Christ — pp. 172 — 181. 

LETTER XY. 

Imprisonment and Death of John the Baptist — Jesus is told of 
it — The Miracle of the Five Loaves and Two Fishes — Envy of the 
Priests — Miracles by the Aid of Beelzebub — John the Baptist 
was Elias — Six other Disciples chosen — Jesus no ambitious 
Leader — Refuses to be made a King — pp. 181 — 190. 

LETTER X Y I . 

Uproar among the People— Rabbi Amos professes himself a 
Believer — Messiah a Man, not an Angel — Is Ho not also God ? — 
Nicodemus— Jesus fatigued — His Power exercised not for Ilis 
own Relief— Benjamin, the lost Brother, returns — He had been 
healed after being a Lunatic Seven Years — How the Cure was 
wrought — Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem — pp. 190 
— 200 . 


CONTENTS. 


xviii 


LETTER XVII. 

Tumult at the Entry of Jesus on the Morning of the Passover — 
Shouting — Jesus purges the Temple of the Money-changers — The 
Scourge of Small Cords — He is questioned by the Iligh-Priest — 
He is rejected — Another Miracle — pp. 201 — 211. 

LETTER XVIII. 

Recovery of Adina’s Father from Sickness — She combats his 
Objections — “Out of Egypt have I called my Son” — “ Galilee of 
the Gentiles” — Jesus comes to the House with a great Multitude 
— xEmilius, the Centurion — Description of Jesus — He is charged 
with Sedition — TEmilius refuses — Jesus enters the house of Rabbi 
Amos — Adina greets Him — Elias asks for a Miracle — A Man 
with the Palsy let down in a Blanket — He is healed — pp. 212 
— 222 . 


LETTER XIX. 

Divisions on Account of Jesus — Nicodemus visits Him by 
Night — The New Birth of Water and the Spirit — Throne on 
Calvary — Jesus forgives Sins, with a Miracle of Healing — Jesus 
departs for Galilee — He declines the Roman Escort — Four Lepers 
healed — JEmilius is converted — Other proofs in Behalf of Jesus — 
pp. 223—233. 


LETTER XX. 


Adina’s illness — Sojourn in Nain — Two Disciples of Jesus 
arrive at the House — They announce the Coming of Jesus — They 
are driven from the Town — Ruth — A Letter for Sarah from 


CONTENTS. 


XlX 


Samuel — lie has been wrecked, and kindly received at the House 
of Adina’s Father in Alexandria — Samuel arrives — He is seized 
with a Malignant Fever — Dies — Preparations for Burial — A Let- 
ter from Gadara — pp. 233 — 242. * 

LETTER XXI. 

Grief of Ruth — Great Procession accompanying the Dead — 
The Dead is Raised to Life by Jesus — Mary relates the Account 
of it — SamuePs Remembrance of his State during Death — Jesus 
abides in the House — pp. 242 — 251. 

LETTER XXII. 

Morning at Jerusalem — iEmilius becomes a Proselyte — Ac- 
count of the Ceremony of his Reception as such in the Temple — 
Jesus appears in the Temple — His Sermon — His Assassination 
attempted, and foiled — He is saluted as King — Tumult — Pilate 
makes Obeisance to Him — He Disappears — The Tribute-money — 
./Emilius needs one step more — pp. 252 — 263. 

LETTER XXIII. 

Adina’s Father about to visit Jerusalem — Enumeration of the 
Miracles of J esus — He forgives Sins — Eli’s Withered Arm restor- 
ed — His Confession of his Sin — Miracle of the Loaves — Jesus is 
to be at Jerusalem at the Passover — Lazarus is taken sick — pp. 
264—270. 

LETTER X X I Y. 

Adina and Mary go to Lazarus — Cause of his Sickness — His 
Virtues — Lazarus failing — Beauty of Rachel — Her Delivery from 
the Hands of Annas in the Temple — Mary writes to Jesus, then 
at Bethabara — pp. 271 — 279. 


XX 


CONTENTS. 


LETTER XXV. 

Death of Lazarus — Martha and Mary — “That Good Part” — 
Grief of the Family — Mary’s Sin — Betrayed by Prince Herod 
Valerius — Carried away by Him to a Castle in Galilee — She es- 
capes to the Mother of Jesus at Nazareth— Her Sin forgiven by 
Jesus — He reconciles Her to Her Family — Her lovely Penitence 
— pp. 279—284. 


LETTER XXVI. 

The Burial of Lazarus — He is laid in a Cave — JEmilius present 
— Grief of Martha and Mary — Barabbas and his Ishmaelite 
Robbers — A Combat between Him and HSmilius — Barabbas is 
wounded and taken Captive — Crosses upon Calvary — Isaiah’s 
Prophecy fulfilled — pp. 285 — 295. 

LETTER XXVII. 

Faith of Martha and Mary in the Power of Jesus — Jesus re- 
ceives their Message — The Death of their Brother causes their 
Faith to fail — Jesus comes — Martha and Mary go out to meet 
Him — The liaising of Lazarus from the Dead — He returns Home 
with Jesus — pp. 295 — 309. 

LETTER XXVIII. 

Adina’s Father is delayed — He believes in the Power of Jesus, 
but not that he is Messias — Adina’s Beply to his Objections — The 
Claims of Jesus Himself, in the Synagogue of Bethany — Testi- 
mony of an Unclean Spirit — He is cast out — Saluted King — The 
Jews cry out “Sedition against Caesar!” — JEmilius — Tumult — 
Jesus conveys Himself away — His secret Prayer — His Futuro 
Kingdom — John speaks mournfully and mysteriously of Ilis 
Death — pp. 310 — 321 . 


CONTENTS. 


XXI 


LETTER XXIX. 

Terror and Trouble — Discourse of Jesus after eating the Pass- 
over — John narrates all the Incidents of the Last Supper — Judas 
Iscariot — “What thou doest, do quickly” — The Garden of Geth- 
semane — The Betrayal — Jesus is taken — Sounds of Angels in the 
Air — John follows Jesus — The Multitude take Jesus first to Annas 
— Rage of the People — pp. 321 — 338. 

LETTER XXX. 

Hope and Faith are over! — Weeping, and Mourning, and Des- 
pair — Lamentations — Sorrow of John and the Mother of Jesus — 
No One any longer believes — Mary’s Account of all that had 
happened — Jesus among the raging Multitude — “'Weep not for 
Me : Weep for Yourselves !” — Peter with his Sword drawn — 
Fierce Bitterness of the Priests — Message from the Wife of Pilate 
— Judas Iscariot, with his Bag of Money — Sunrise — pp. 338 — 352. 

LETTER XXXI. 

No more Confidence in Man ! — Flight of the Disciples — /Emiliua 
alone, yet firm in the Faith — Facts, as given by John, Rabbi Amos, 
Peter, ^Emilius, and Others of the Disciples — Jesus led from 
Annas to Caiaphas — The Testimony of False Witnesses — Peter’s 
Denial — The Cock-crowing — “ Blasphemy !” — The Buffeting — 
Jesus is protected by ASmilius and his Roman Soldiers — Insurrec- 
tion threatened — Jesus abused by the Rabble — He is hurried off 
to Pilate — pp. 353 — 370. 


XXII 


CONTENTS. 


LETTER XXXII. 

Narrative of the Trial Resumed — Omens — Cloud-pall over the 
City — The Wind does not carry it away — Darkness, Earthquake, 
the Dead rising from their Graves — Jesus in the Praetorium — 
Questioned by Pilate — Judas rushes in remorseful — “ I am a 
King” — “Not Caesar’s Friend” — The Message from Pilate’s Wife 
— Jesus sent to Herod — The Mocking — “One must fall” — pp. 
370—385. 


LETTER XXXIII. 

John still clinging close to Jesus — Herod and Jesus — Herod and 
Pilate reconciled — Jesus is Silent — Herod gives Jesus up to the 
Mob — Crowned with Thorns — Mocked with Robe and Reed — 
Jesus saluted as King — He is led back to the Praetorium — “Ba- 
rabbas!” — The Robber is liberated by Pilate — pp. 385 — 397. 

LETTER XXXIY. 

I 

Pilate’s Indecision — “ Thou art not Caesar’s Friend” — “ Behold 
your King!” — “ Crucify Him !” — Pilate washes his Hands — “His 
Blood be on us and on our Children!” — Jesus Scourged — Dragged 
to Calvary — Judas Iscariot dead— The Cross — The Ascent of 
Calvary — Falling under the Cross — Simon the Cyrenian — Skulls 
— The two Robbers — Ishmerai and Omri — The Centurion’s Excuse 
for Tilate — pp. 397 — 410. 


CONTENTS. 


XX111 


LETTER XXXV. 

Account of the Crucifixion continued — The Mother of Jesus- 
Binding to the Cross — The Seamless Kobe — Raising the Cross — 
The Guard set — Casting lots — Purchase of the Robe — “This is 
Jesus, the King of the Jews” — Revilings of the Crowd — The 
Penitent Omri — “ This Day shalt thou be with Me in Paradise ” — 
The Reed and Sponge — Darkness — u Eloi, Eloi , lama Sabachthani /” 
— u It is finished ! — Father into Thy Hands I commend my 
Spirit” — Earthquake — The Tombs give up their Dead — a Truly 
this was the Son of God !”• — pp. 411 — 426. 


LETTER XXXVI. 

Taking down the Bodies — The Darkness caused by an Eclipse 
— Jesus dead already — Joseph of Arimathea begs the Body of 
Jesus — The Descent from the Cross — The Burial in a New Tomb 
— Setting the Watch — Sealing the Stone — Going to the Sepulchre 
with Spices — The Note of Joy — pp. 426 — 439. 


LETTER XXXVII. 

The Resurrection of Jesus — Joy — Testimony of Mary — Terror 
of the Guard — Their Flight — The Angels— The Sepulchre empty 
— Mary tells how She had seen Jesus— Peter and John — Amaze- 
ment of Caiaphas— Pilate’s Emotions— The Guard bribed to tell 
a False Tale— They arc not punished for sleeping on their Post 
—pp. 439—451. 


XXIV 


CONTENTS. 


LETTER XXXVIII. 

Adina at Bethany — Retrospect of the Life of Jesus — Summary 
of Argument — Prophecies of Messias explained — Jesus appears 
in Galilee — And Elsewhere — Boldness of the Christians — Daily 
Council at Bethlehem — Majesty and Power of Jesus — Explanation 
of the Meaning of Sacrifice — The Resurrection of Jesus notorious 
— Some Great Event about to happen — Adina’s Father soon ex- 
pected — pp. 451 — 463. 


LETTER XXXIX. 

The Ascension — Like the Transfiguration — Commission and 
Benediction — The Rising Heavenward — Angelic Chorus — The 
Angels — Summary of the Argument — Postscript — pp. 464 — 472. 


INTRODUCTION 


TO THE 


LETTERS OF ADINA. 

/ 


Adina, the supposititious writer of the following letters, is the 
only child of Manasseh Benjamin, who though an Israelite of 
the tribe of Judah, was a native of the Graeco-Romano city 
of Alexandria. His ancestor was the learned David Esdras 
Manasseh, one of the Septuaginta (or LXX.) appointed by 
Ptolemy Philadelphus, in the year B. C. 277, to translate the 
Bible from the original Hebrew tongue into Greek. Esdras, 
with his companions, having accomplished this important 
work, was invited by the king to remain in Egypt, where he 
died at an advanced age, holding an office of trust and honor. 
His descendants for five generations were eminent men, and 
shared the confidence of the rulers of Egypt, under whom 
they accumulated riches which were finally inherited by Ma- 
nasseh Benjamin, a man not unworthy of so eminent an 
ancestry. He was revered in Alexandria for his integrity, 
wisdom, and rank, as well as for his learning and wealth ; and 
was honored with the friendship of the Roman Pro-consul, 
Rufus Lucius Paulinus. His love and veneration for the land 
of his fathers, and for the Holy City and Temple of Jehovah, 
were not lessened by his nativity as an Egyptian Jew ; and 
as he had been in his youth sent to Jerusalem by his father, 

2 


26 


INTRODUCTION. 


to be educated in the laws of Moses, so be resolved that his 
daughter should share the same privileges, and be taught as 
beseemed a Jewish woman, as well as the inheritress of his 
name and wealth. 

After a tedious journey of seventeen days by the way of 
Gaza, the lovely Adina at length came suddenly in sight of 
the walls and tower of the city of Zion, close at hand. The 
caravan halted upon the ridge, and the Jewish travellers com- 
posing it alighted and prostrated themselves in adoration be- 
fore the city of David, and the mountain of Moriah, made 
sacred by the footsteps of Abraham. The maiden unveiled, 
and bowed her head with sacred awe. It was her first sight of 
Jerusalem — the city of her fathers, the birthplace of her par- 
ent, of which, from her earliest childhood, she had heard him 
speak with the profoundest reverence. As she gazed upon it, 
she thought of Isaac, who had been bound upon an altar on 
yonder height, now glittering with walls overlaid with marble 
and gold ; of Isaiah, who had been sawn asunder in the 
gloomy valley at her feet ; of David and his glory ; of Solo- 
mon and his wisdom ; of the host of Prophets who had trod 
its streets or wandered upon its hills. Rapidly her memory 
brought to her mind the history of the mighty past ; of the 
sieges the city had withstood against the Assyrians, the Per- 
sians, the Egyptians, and the nations of the earth ; of the 
carrying away into captivity of her countrymen ; of the de- 
molition of its walls and of its Temple ; and its rebuilding by 
Ezra. But most of all she dwelt with holy fear upon the 
thought that the presence of Jehovah had dwelt there century 
after century, visibly, in the Form of celestial Fire, within 
the inner sanctuary of the Temple ; and that there He had 
spoken with man, as it were face to face. She thought also 
of the Ark of the Covenant, of the Tables of Stone, of 
Aaron’s budded rod, and of the brazen serpent, which wert 
laid up in the Temple ; and her heart beat with emotion sucb 


INTRODUCTION. 


27 


as she had never felt before. Lower and with more awful 
veneration, she bent her head in grateful reverence to Him 
who had so distinguished above all nations her nation, above 
all cities the city of her fathers and of the Prophets ! Then 
she raised her eyes in pride that she was a Jewess, and looked 
aTOund proudly upon the noble landscape which, in her im- 
agination, it seemed must be as familiar to the eyes of angels 
as to men, so closely had Heaven connected itself with that 
chosen spot. 

The Arabs, her attendants, had also bowed the forehead 
and kneeled in the presence of the sacred towers ; but it was 
in honor of Abraham and the patriarchs, their ancestors 
through Ishmael, who they ignorantly believed lay with Isaac 
and Jacob in sepulchres upon Mount Moriah, instead of at 
Hebron in their burial place of the cave of Machpelah, as 
saith Moses our Prophet. 

Adina’s proud glance around was arrested by the sight of a 
cohort of soldiers that came galloping up the ridge from the 
city, with a glittering eagle carried in advance. 

“ The Romani ! The Romani !” cried the guides, and rising 
from their knees they remounted in haste, and used every exer- 
tion to leave the road open to the approaching troop of horse. 
An Israelitish muleteer, a few rods below in the path, who 
could not get out of the way soon enough, was over-run and 
thrown to the ground, and the cavalcade swept onward to the 
summit of the hill, disregarding him. 

The cheek of Adina paled at this sight, but it was not from 
fear. All her pride died away in her heart ; and she forgot 
the glory of the past, in the sense of the present degradation. 
In the first exultation of her emotions at fastening her eyes 
upon Jerusalem, she had forgotten that the land of the Proph- 
ets and of kings anointed by God, was now a conquered Ro- 
man province. But the sight of the Roman cohort brought 
this painful reality to her mind, and veiling her face, she was 
overcome by the deepest sadness. 


28 


INTRODUCTION. 


The troops passed her and her escort like a whirlwind of 
war, with ringing spurs, jingling bits, clashing shields, and the 
noise of the tramp of five hundred hoofs. She could no longer 
gaze upon the city with joy and pride. The words of Jere- 
miah rose to her lips : 

4 ‘ How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a 
cloud in his anger ! Is this the city that men call the perfec 
tion of beauty, the joy of the whole earth ? The Lord has 
cast us off from being a nation, and the name of Israel is re- 
membered no more !” 

Tears, free and bountiful, relieved the fullness of her heart, 
and like a true daughter of Jerusalem, she mourned over the 
departed glory of her people. 

Once more they rode on, winding down around a hill cov- 
ered with tombs, one of which was pointed out to her by a 
Jewish Eabbi, under whose care she was journeying, as that 
of the prophet Jeremiah. Leaving this tomb, they crossed a 
small valley, green -and beautiful with groves, fountains, and 
terraces, and thronged with a mixed multitude, both men and 
women, who seemed to be enjoying a promenade there, outside 
the city walls ; there were also booths arranged on one side of 
the shady walk, where merchants from all parts of the earth 
were selling. The Eabbi accounted for this concourse by in- 
forming her that they had arrived at Jerusalem on a great 
feast day. Avoiding this multitude they moved on their way 
to the right, and ascended a low eminence from which Jerusa- 
lem, in another point of view, burst close upon them in all the 
splendor of its still unconquerable magnificence ; for with all 
its vicissitudes of misfortune, in wars, sieges and desolation, 
the Jerusalem of the Eomans was still a majestic metropolis, 
and, in a great degree, meriting its appellation of the li Queen 
of the nations.” 

“ How beautiful!” exclaimed Adina. 

11 Man cannot destroy the city of God, ” said the Eabbi, 
with haughty confidence. “ She will stand forever.” 


INTRODUCTION. 


29 


“ Point out to me, good Rabbi Ben Israel, the prominent 
places! What is that frowning castle beyond the Temple 
which looks so strong and warlike ?” 

“ That is the ( City of David,’ the castle of the king3 ! It 
protects the Temple and town. David fortified himself in it, 
and so did the noble Maccabees. It was built by Melchisedek, 
the first king of Jerusalem, and the friend of our father Abra- 
ham. It is now garrisoned by a thousand Roman soldiers.” 

The Jewish girl sighed, and then her eyes being attracted 
by a graceful tower which the sunbeams of the west burnish- 
ed like gold, she inquired what it was. 

“The one with the palm growing by its side and nearly as 
lofty ?” asked the Rabbi, who seemed to take pleasure in grati- 
fying the curiosity of his lovely protege. 

“ Yes, the same.” 

“ That is called David’s Tower. Upon yonder wall above 
the gate David’s watchman stood when he was looking for 
tidings from Absalom ; and a wood not visible hence far to the 
north and east is the 6 wood of Ephraim,’ wherein they say, 
Prince Absalom was slain.” 

“ And what palace is that which the setting sun lights up 
so brilliantly, as if it were covered with plates of silver ?” 

u That is the palace of the Roman Governor, Pontius Pi- 
late, who reigns in Jerusalem as a king. But why do you 
shudder?” he asked, as he beheld her change countenance ; and 
following the direction of her eyes to their right, he beheld not 
far distant, a score of crosses bristling upon a small eminence 
opposite the city-gate ; and two of the crosses held bodies 
recently nailed to them, while a guard of soldiers and a crowd « 
of people stood near looking on and watching the writhings of 
the victims. The groans and execrations of one of them dis- 
tinctly reached the ears of Adina. 

“ That is the Place of Calvary, daughter,” said the Rabbi, 
with a look of outward indifference “ It is where the Ro- 


30 


INTRODUCTION. 


mans execute their malefactors. Two have suffered to-day. 
It is cruel punishment, not so mild as stoning to death ; but 
the Romans have little feeling. Let us ride on.” 

On the left they wound round the wall of a garden that 
seemed to be open to the public, as in some places the enclo- 
sure was thrown down. Several persons were seen within, 
walking up and down, or reclining under the shade of olive- 
trees. 

“That is Solomon’s garden, now called Grethsemane,” said 
the Rabbi ; “ it is now like all the royal woods, desolate.” 

“ Yet beautiful in its desolation. How majestically the 
walls of the Temple rise heavenward, seen from this valley ! 
What noble hill, partly covered with trees, is this east of the 
garden 1” 

“ Olivet, also a portion of the king’s gardens in the days of 
Israel’s glory. Beyond it is Bethany !” 

“ Where is the Bethlehem of Judah, out of which the pro- 
phet says shall come a Ruler over Israel ?” 

“ To the south ; and we look one day to have that prophe- 
cy fulfilled. It cheers us with the assurance that Jerusalem 
shall not forever be trodden down of the nations, but one day 
have a king and governor of the royal seed of David. ’ ’ 

“ And do any of the family of David now exist?” asked 
Adina, fixing her eyes earnestly upon the. bearded face of the 
Rabbi. 

“Yes, or the prophecy could not be accomplished. But they 
are, as far as known, poor and humble ; but I have no doubt 
that in some part of the world among the nations, exists some 
^ of the sacred stock who are reigning princes, as Daniel and 
Joseph reigned in Persia and Egypt, from whence they shall 
come as conquerers to rule over Israel.” 

“ How then can they spring from the little village of Beth- 
lehem ?” asked the maiden. 

The Rabbi looked a little embarrassed, and was about to 


INTRODUCTION. 


31 


make some reply to this difficult question, when their road 
was blocked up by a flock of sheep, mingled with a drove of 
cattle, being driven into the city for the altars of sacrifice. It 
was with some delay they made their way through these 
obstacles and came to the gate of Damascus. Here they were 
detained by the Roman guard and made to show their pass- 
ports, and to pay thirty sesterces for every camel, and half as 
many for each mule in the caravan. 

The scene in the streets was quite bewildering to Adina, 
who had been journeying so many days through a desert; but 
as the dwelling of the relations of her father was near the 
gate, she was soon in the arms of her friends, who, though 
they had never seen her before, received her affectionately, as 
much for her father’s sake, who had commended her to their 
protection, as for her own prepossessing loveliness. 

Just entering her seventeenth year, the daughter of the rich 
Alexandrian was in the prime of female charms. Her hair 
was auburn brown, and shining like gold ; her face oval, and 
transparently olive in its color, tinted with the least percepti- 
ble roseate ; her large eyes, were of the most splendid light and 
glory of expression ; her nose straight and finely outlined, 
and her mouth exquisitely shaped, with an expression of 
heavenly sweetness. 

Having been kindly welcomed, and finding every prepara- 
tion made for her comfort and happiness, she gave a few days 
to repose, and then, on the return of the caravan, addressed 
the following letter to her father. This letter was followed 
by many others, all of which it is our intention to give to the 
reader, as they are written at a period the most interesting of 
any other of which history takes record. The first letter is 
dated, according to the Jewish chronology, three years before 
the crucifixion of our Saviour. 





















* 










♦ 













LETTERS FROM ADINA. 


LETTER I. 

My Dear Father : 

My first duty, as it is my highest pleasure, is to com- 
ply with your command to write you as soon as I should 
arrive at Jerusalem ; and this letter, while it conveys to 
you intelligence of my arrival, will confirm to you my 
filial obedience. 

I . will not fail to write by every caravan that leaves 
here monthly for Cairo ; and if there are more frequent 
opportunities, my love, dear father, and sympathy for 
you in your separation from me, will prompt me to avail 
myself of them. 

My journey hither occupied many days, Rabbi Ben 
Israel says seventeen, but although I kept the numbei 
up to ten. I soon became too weary to keep the account. 
When we traveled in sight of the sea, which we did for 
three days, I enjoyed the majesty of the prospect, it 
seemed so like the sky stretched out upon the earth. I 
also had the good fortune to see several ships, which the 
Rabbi, who was always ready to gratify my thirst for 
information, informed me were Roman galleys, bound 
2 * 


34 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


some to Sidon and others into the Nile ; and after one 
of these latter, as it was going to yon, I sent a prayer 
and a wish. Just as we were leaving the sea-shore to 
turn off into the desert, I saw a wrecked vessel. It 
looked so helpless and bulky, with its huge black body 
all out of the water, that it seemed to me like a great 
sea-monster, stranded and dying ; and I felt like pitying 
it. The Rabbi gave me to understand that it had come 
from Alexandria, laden with wheat, hound for Italia, 
and been east ashore in a storm. How terrible a tem- 
pest must be upon the sea ! I was in hopes to have 
seen a Leviathan, but was not gratified in the wish. The 
good Rabbi, who seemed to know all about these things, 
told me that they seldom appear now in the Middle Sea, 
but are seen beyond the pillar of Hercules at the world’s 
end. 

At Gaza we stopped two days. We entered the gate- 
way of which Samson carried away the gates, and I was 
shown the traditional hill two miles to the south-east 
where he left them. Many other places of interest were 
shown me, especially the field, which our path led 
across, where he put to flight the Philistine hosts with 
much slaughter. A lion’s cave was also pointed out to 
me, out of which came the lion which Samson slew, and 
upon which he made his famous riddles. 

A dry well into which the ten Patriarchs lowered the 
Prince Joseph, their brother, was also shown me by our 
Arab guide, and also the rock on which the Ishmaelites 
told down the pieces of silver. But Rabbi Ben Israel 
says the true pit of Joseph is north of Jerusalem near 
the mountains of Gilboa at Dothan. The traditions of 
the Arabs are often thus at fault. I fancied the old 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


35 


Arab related the occurrence with more elation than was 
needful, as if he took pride in perpetuating the fact that 
our noble ancestor had once been the purchased slave of 
theirs. I noticed, several times during the journey, that 
the Ishmaelites of Edom in our caravan took every oc- 
casion to elevate their own race to the disparagement of 
the sons of Israel ; indeed, Aben Hussuff, our white- 
bearded chief of the caravan, in a wordy discussion with 
Rabbi Ben Israel, at Isaac’s well where we encamped, 
would have it that Isaac was the son of the bond wo- 
man, and Ishmael the true heir, but disinherited and 
cast out through the wiles of the bond woman, who 
would have her own son the inheritor. But of course 
I was too well instructed in the history of my fathers 
to give heed to such a fable ; though the Arabs all took 
part with their chief, and contended for the truth of 
what he asserted as warmly and zealously as the learned 
Rabbi did for the truth of his own side. 

The morning of the last day of our journey but one, . 
having lost our way and wandered many hours east- 
wardly, we caught sight of the Sea of Sodom and Go- 
morrah, at a great distance to the east. How my pulse 
quickened at beholding that fearful spot so marked by 
the wrath of Jehovah ! I seemed to see in imagination 
the heavens on fire above it, and the flames and smoke 
ascending as from a great furnace, as on that fearful 
day when they were destroyed, with all that beautiful 
surrounding plain, which we are told was one vast 
garden of beauty. How calm and still lay now that 
sluggish sea beneath a cloudless sky! We held it in 
sight many hours, and once caught a glimpse of the 
Jordan north of it, looking like a silver thread ; yet 


36 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


near as it appeared to be, I was told it was a good day’s 
journey for a camel to reach its shores. 

After losing sight of this melancholy lake, the glassy 
sepulchre of cities and their countless dwellers, our way 
lay along a narrow valley for some time, and the next 
day, on reaching an eminence, Jerusalem appeared, liko 
a city risen out of the earth, it stood before us so unex- 
pectedly ; for we were still, as it were, in the desert ; 
yet so near on the side of our approach does the desert 
advance to its walls, that it was not two miles off when 
we beheld it. 

I cannot, my dear father, describe to you my emo- 
tions on beholding the Holy City ! They have been 
experienced by millions of our people — they were similar 
to your own as you related them to me. All the past, 
with its mighty men who walked with Jehovah, came 
up to my mind, overpowering me with the amazing 
weight. The whole history of the sacred place rushed 
to my memory, and compelled me to bow my head, and 
worship and adore at the sight of the Temple, where 
God once (alas, why does He no longer visit earth and 
His Holy House ?) dwelt in the flaming Shechinah, and 
made known the oracles of His will. I could see the 
smoke of the evening sacrifice ascending to the skies, 
and I inwardly prayed Jehovah to accept it for thee 
and me. 

As we approached the city several interesting spots 
were pointed out to me, and I was bewildered with the 
familiar and sacred localities which I had known hith- 
erto only by reverential reading of the Prophets. It 
seemed to me that I was living in the days cf Isaiah 
and Jeremiah, as places associated with their names 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


37 


were shown me, rather than in the generation to which 
I properly belong. Indeed, I have lived only in the past 
the three days I have been in Jerusalem, constantly 
consulting the sacred historians to compare places and 
scenes with their accounts, and so verify each with a 
holy awe and inward delight that must be felt to be 
understood ; but, dear father, you have yourself expe- 
rienced all this, and therefore can understand my 
emotions. 

We entered the city just before the sixth hour of the 
evening, and were soon at the house of our relative, 
Amos, the Levite. I was received as if I had a daugh- 
ter’s claim to their embraces; and with the luxuries 
with which they surrounded me in my gorgeously fur- 
nished apartments, I am sure my kinsfolk here mean to 
tempt me to forget the joys of the dear home I have left. 

The Rabbi Amos and his family all desire to be com- 
mended to you. As it is his course to serve in the 
Temple, I do not see much of him, but he seems to be 
a man of piety and benevolence, and greatly loves his 
children. I have been once to the Temple. Its outer 
court seemed like a vast caravanserai or market-place, 
being thronged with the men who sell animals for sacri- 
fice, which crowded all parts. Thousands of doves in 
large cages were sold on one side, and on another were 
stalls for lambs, sheep, calves, and oxen, the noise and 
bleating of which, with the confusion of tongues, made 
the place appear like any thing else than the Temple 
of Jehovah. It appears like desecration to use the 
Temple thus, dear father, and seems to show a want of 
that holy awe of God’s house that once characterized 
our ancestors. I was glad to get safely through the 


38 


THE PKINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


Bazaar, which, on the plea of selling to sacrificers 
victims for the altar, allows, under color thereof, every 
other sort of traffic. On reaching the women’s court I 
was sensible of being in the Temple, by the magnifi- 
cence which surrounded me. With what awe I bowed 
my head in the direction of the Holy of Holies ! I never 
felt before so near to Grod ! Clouds of incense floated 
above the heads of the multitude, and rivers of blood 
flowed down the marble steps of the altar of burnt 
offering. Alas! how many innocent victims bleed every 
morning and evening for the sins of Israel! What a 
sea of blood has been poured out in ages that have 
passed ! What a strange, fearful mystery, that the 
blood of an innocent lamb should atone for sins I have 
done! There must be some deeper meaning in these 
sacrifices, dear father, yet unrevealed to us. 

As I was returning from the Temple I met many 
persons walking and riding, who seemed to be crowding 
out of the gate on some unusual errand. I have since 
learned that there is a very extraordinary man — a true 
prophet of Grod, it is believed by many, who dwells in 
the wilderness eastward near Jordan, and who preaches 
with power unknown in the land since the days of 
Elijah and Elisha. It is to see and listen to this prophet 
that so many persons are daily going out from Jeru- 
salem. He lives in a cave, feeds on plants or wild 
honey, and drinks only water, while his clothing is the 
skin of a lion ; at least such is the report. I hope he is 
a true prophet of Heaven, and that Grod is once more 
about to remember Israel ; but the days of the Prophets 
have long passed away, and I fear this man is only an 
enthusiast, like the imposter Theudas, or that Galilean 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


39 


Judas, who deceived our people and perished so mise- 
rably ; hut this man’s influence over all who listen to 
him is so remarkable, that it would seem, and one has 
almost the courage to believe, that he is really endowed 
with the Spirit of the Prophets. 

Farewell, dear father, and let us ever pray for the 
glory of Israel. 

Your affectionate 

Adina. 


LETTER II. 


My Dear Father : 

The excellent Rabbi, Ben Israel, has just made known 
to me his intention of returning to Egypt to-morrow, and 
has waited upon me, to inquire if I had any commands 
to intrust him with, for my friends in Alexandria. 
Instead of this letter, which %e will be the bearer of to 
you, I would rather commit myself a second time to his 
care, and instead of placing this parchment in your 
hand, let him lay your child again upon your bosom. 
But it is by your wish, dear father, that I am here, and 
though I sigh to behold you once more, I will try to be 
contented in my absence from you, knowing that my 
discontent would cause sorrow to bow down your gray 
hairs. 

So far as a daughter can be happy from the home of 
her youth, I have every thing to render me so. The 
good Rabbi Amos, in his kindness, recalls your own mild 
and dignified countenance, and Rebecca, his noble wife, 
my cousin, is truly a mother in Israel. Her daughter 


40 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID . 


Mary, my younger cousin, in her affectionate attach- 
ment to me, shows me how much love I have lost, in 
never having had a sister. It is altogether a lovely 
household, and I am favored by the (rod of our fathers in 
having my lot, during my exile from my home on the 
banks of the beautiful Nile, cast in so peaceful and holy 
a domestic sanctuary. 

The street in which we dwell is elevated, and from the 
roof of the house, where I love to walk in the evening, 
watching the stars that hang over Egypt, there is 
commanded a wide prospect of the Holy City. The 
stupendous Temple, with its terraces piled on terraces 
of dazzling marble, with its glittering fountains shooting 
upward like palm trees of liquid silver, with its massive 
yet beautiful walls and towers, is ever in full sight. The 
golden arc, that spans the door which leads into the 
Holy of Holies, as it catches the sunbeams of morning, 
bums like a celestial coronet with an unearthly glory. I 
dare not gaze steadily upon that holy place, nor imagine 
the blinding splendor within, of the visible presence of 
Jehovah, in the Shechinah once present there. 

Yesterday morning I was early on the house-top, to 
behold the first cloud of the day-dawn sacrifice rise from 
the bosom of the Temple. When I had turned my gaze 
towards the sacred summit, I was awed by the profound 
silence which reigned over the vast pile that crowned 
Mount Moriah. The sun was not yet risen; but the 
East blushed with a roseate purple, and the morning 
star was melting into its depths. Not a sound broke the 
stillness of the hundred streets within the walls of Jeru- 
salem. Night and silence still held united empire over 
the city and the altar of God. I was awe-silent. I stood 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


41 


with my hands crossed upon my bosom and my head 
reverently bowed, for in the absence of man and his 
voice I believed angels were all around in heavenly 
hosts, the guardian armies of this wondrous city of 
David. Lances of light now shot upward and across the 
purple sea in the East, and fleeces of clouds, that reposed 
upon it like barks, catching the red rays of the yet un- 
risen sun, blazed like burning ships. Each moment the 
darkness fled, and the splendor of the dawn increased ; 
and when I expected to see the sun appear over the 
battlemented heights of Mount Moriah, I was thrilled 
by the startling peal of the trumpets of the priests : a 
thousand silver trumpets blown at once from the walls 
of the Temple, and shaking the very foundations of the 
city with their mighty voice. Instantly the house-tops 
everywhere around were alive with worshipers ! Jeru- 
salem started, as one man, from its slumbers, and, with 
their faces towards the temple, a hundred thousand men 
of Israel stood waiting. A second trumpet peal, clear 
and musical as the voice of (rod when He spake to our 
father Moses in Horeb, caused every knee to bend, and 
every tongue to join in the morning song of praise. The 
murmur of voices was like the continuous roll of the 
surge upon the beach r and the walls of the lofty Temple, 
like a cliff, echoed it back. Unused to this scene, for 
we have nothing like this majesty of worship in Alexan- 
dria, I stood rather as a spectator than a sharer, as it 
became thy daughter to have been, dear father. Simul- 
taneously with the billow-like swell of the adoring hymn, 
I beheld a pillar of black smoke ascend from the midst 
of the Temple, and spread itself above the court like a 
canopy. It was accompanied by a blue wreath of lighter 


42 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


and more misty appearance, which threaded in and out, 
and entwined about the other, like a silvery strand woven 
into a sable cord. This latter was the smoke of the in- 
cense which accompanied the burnt sacrifice. As I saw 
it rise higher and higher, and finally overtop the heavy 
cloud, which was instantly enlarged by volumes of dense 
smoke that rolled upward from the consuming victim, 
and slowly disappeared melting into heaven, I also 
kneeled, remembering that on the wings of the incense 
went up the prayers of the people ; and ere it dissolved 
wholly, I entrusted to it, dear father, prayers for thee 
and me ! 

How wonderful is our religion ! How mysterious this 
daily sacrifice, so many hundreds of years offered up for 
the sins of our fathers and ourselves ! How, I often 
have asked myself since I have been here, how can the 
blood of a heifer, of a lamb, or of a goat, take away sin ? 
What is the mysterious relation existing between us 
and these dumb and innocent brutes ? How can a lamb 
stand for a man before God ? The more I reflect upon 
this awful subject, the more I am lost in wonder. I have 
spoken to Rabbi Amos of these things, but he only smiles, 
and bids me think about my embroidery ; for cousin 
Mary and I are working a rich gold border in the phy- 
lactery of his next New-Year’s garment. 

The evening sacrifice, which I witnessed yesterday, 
is, if possible, more imposing than that of the morning. 
Just as the sun dips beyond the hill of Gibeah, over- 
hanging the valley of Aijalon, there is heard a prolonged 
note of a trumpet blown from one of the western watch- 
towers of Zion. Its mellow tones reach the farthest ear 
within the gates of the city. All labor at once ceases ! 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


43 


Every man drops the instrument of his toil, and raises 
his face towards the summit of the house of God. A deep 
pause, as if all held their breath in expectation, succeeds. 
Suddenly the very skies seem to he riven, and shaken 
with the thunder of the company of trumpeters that rolls, 
wave on wave of sound, from the battlements of the 
Temple. The dark cloud of sacrifice ascends in solemn 
grandeur, and sometimes heavier than the evening air, 
falls like a descending curtain around the Mount, till the 
whole is veiled from sight ; hut above it is seen to soar 
the purer incense to the invisible Jehovah, followed by a 
myriad eyes, and the utterance of a nation’s prayers. 
As the day-light faded, the light of the altar, hidden from 
us by the lofty walls of the outer court of the Temple, 
blazed high and beacon-like, and lent a wild sublimity 
to the towers and pinnacles that crowned Moriah. 

There was, however, my dear father, last evening, one 
thing which painfully marred the holy character of the 
sacred hour ! After the blast of the silver trumpets of 
the Levites had ceased, and while all hearts and eyes 
were ascending to Jehovah with the mounting wreaths 
of incense,' there came from the Roman castle adjoining 
the City of David a loud martial clangor of brazen bu- 
gles, and other barbarian war-instruments of music, 
while a smoke, like the smoke of sacrifice, rose from the 
heights of David’s fortified hi] I. I was told that it was 
the Romans engaged in worshiping Jupiter, their idol 
God ! Oh, when, when shall the Holy City be freed 
from the reproach of the stranger ! Alas, for Israel ! 
Her inheritance “ is turned to strangers, and her houses 
to aliens.” Well said Jeremiah the Prophet, “ The 
kings of the earth and all the inhabitants of the world 


44 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID : 


would not have believed that the adversary and the ene- 
my should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem.” 
How truly now are the prophecies fulfilled, which are 
to be found in the Lamentations : “ The Lord hath 
cast off His altar, He hath given up into the hands of 
the enemy the walls of her palaces : they have made a 
noise in the house of the Lord, as in the day of a solemn 
feast.” For these things I weep, my dear father ; even 
now, while I write, my tears drop on the parchment. 
Why is it so ? Why does Jehovah suffer the adversary 
to dwell within His holy walls, and the * smoke of his 
abominable sacrifices to mingle with that of the offer- 
ings of the consecrated priests of the Most High ? Sure- 
ly Israel has sinned, and we are punished for our trans- 
gressions. It becomes the land “ to search and try its 
ways and turn unto God,” if perhaps He will return 
and have mercy, and restore the glory of Israel. Our 
kings are the servants of the Gentiles. Our laws are 
no more. Our prophets no longer see visions. God has 
gone up in anger, and no longer holds discourse with His 
chosen people. The very smoke of the daily sacrifice 
seems to hang above the Temple like a cloud of Jehovah’s 
wrath. 

Nearly three hundred years have passed since we 
have had a Prophet, — that divine and youthful Malachi t 
Since his day, Rabbi Amos confesses that Jehovah has 
ceased from all known intercourse with his people and 
holy house ; nor has He made any sign of having heard 
the prayers or heeded the sacrifices that have been 
offered to Him in his time ! I inquired of the intelli- 
gent Rabbi, if it would always be thus ? He replied, 
that when Shiloh came, there would be a restoration of 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE' HOLY CITY. 


45 


all things — that the glory of Jerusalem then would fill 
the whole earth with the splendor of the sun, and that 
all nations should come up from the ends of the world 
to worship in the Temple. He acknowledges “ that we 
are now under a cloud for our sins ; hut that a brighter 
day is coming when Zion shall be the joy of the whole 
earth.” He then added, that there was a report that 
thirty-one years before an angel had appeared to a priest 
when offering incense, who was struck dumb by the 
vision. 

My conversation with Rabbi Amos, dear father, a 
conversation which grew out of the subject of the Ro- 
man garrison occupying the citadel of David, and offer- 
ing their pagan sacrifices by the side of our own smok- 
ing altars, led me to examine the Book of the Prophet 
Malachi. I find that after plainly alluding to our pres- 
ent shame, and reproaching the priests “ for causing the 
people to stumble,” and thus making themselves “ con- 
temptible and base before all nations,” he thus prophe- 
sies : “ Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall 
prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom ye seek 
shall suddenly come to his Temple, and he shall sit as a 
refiner and purifier of silver, and he shall purify the 
sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that 
they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteous- 
ness. Behold,” adds the divine seer, “ I will send you 
Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and 
dreadful day of the Lord.” 

These words I read to-day to Rabbi Amos — indeed I 
was reading them when Rabbi Ben Israel came in to say 
that he departs to-morrow. The excellent Amos looked 
grave, graver than I had ever seen him look. I feared 


46 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID: 


I had offended him by my boldness, and, approaching 
him, was about to embrace him, when I saw tears were 
sparkling in his eyes. This discovery deeply affected 
me, you may he assured, dear father ; and, troubled 
more to have grieved than displeased him, I was about 
to ask his forgivness for intruding these sacred subjects 
upon his notice, when he took my hand, and smiling, 
while a glittering drop danced down his snow-white 
beard and broke into liquid diamonds upon my hand, he 
said, “ You have done no wrong, child ; sit down by me 
and be at peace with thyself. It is too true, in this day > 
what the Prophet Malachi writeth, 0, Ben Israel,” he 
said sadly, to the Alexandrian Rabbi ; “ The priests of 
the temple have indeed become corrupt, save the few 
here and there ! It must have been at this day the 
Prophet aimed his words. Save in the outward form, I 
fear the great body of our Levites have little more true 
religion and just knowledge of the one Grod Jehovah, 
than the priests of the Roman idolatry ! Alas, I fear 
me, G-od regards our sacrifices with no more favor than 
He looks upon theirs! To-day, while I was in the 
Temple, and was serving at the altar with the priests, 
these words of Isaiah came into my thoughts and would 
not be put aside : 6 To what purpose is the multitude 
of your sacrifices unto me ?’ saith the Lord ; ‘ I am full 
of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts ; 
and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, 
or of he goats. Bring no more vain oblations ; incense 
is an abomination unto me ; I am weary to bear them ; 
yea, when ye spread forth your hands I will hide mine 
eyes from you ; yea, when ye make many prayers * 
I will not hear ; your hands are full of blood ! Wash 


OR. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


47 


you ; make you clean. Cease to do evil ; learn to do 
well !’ 

“ These terrible words of the prophet,” added Rabbi 
Amos, addressing the amazed Ben Israel, “ were not 
out of my mind while I was in the Temple. They 
seemed to he thundered in my ears by a voice from 
heaven. Several of the younger priests, whose levity 
during the sacrifice had been reproved by me, seeing me 
sad, asked the cause. In reply, I repeated, with a voice 
that seemed to myself to be inspired, the words of the 
prophet. They turned pale and trembled, and thus I left 

them. ” 

“ I have noticed,” said Ben Israel, “ that there is 
less reverence now in the Temple than when I was in 
Jerusalem a young man ; but I find that the magnifi- 
cence of the ceremonies is increased.” 

“ Yes,” responded Ben Amos, with a look of sorrow ; 
“ yes, as the soul of piety dies out from within, they 
gild the outside. The increased richness of the worship 
is copied from the Roman. So low are we fallen ! Our 
worship, with all its gorgeousness, is as a sepulchre 
white- washed to conceal the rottenness within ! ” 

You may be convinced, my dear father, that this con- 
fession, from such a source, deeply humbled me. If, 

then, we are not worshiping G-oo, what do we wor- 
ship ? If Jehovah of Hosts, the God of our Fathers, 
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, hides his face from our 
sacrifices, and is weary with our incense, whom does 
Israel worship ? NOUGHT ! We are worse off than 
our barbarian conquerors, for we have no God ; while 
they at least have gods many and lords many, such as 
they are ! Alas, alas, the time of the judgment of Jeru- 


48 


THE PRESTO E OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


salem seems to be at hand. The Lord must suddenly 
come to His Temple, and as a refiner and purifier ! I am 
deeply impressed with the conviction that the day is 
very near at hand ! Perhaps we shall see it in our life- 
time, dear father ! 

Since writing the last line I have been interrupted by 
Mary, who has brought to see me a youth, nephew of 
the noble Jewish ruler, Ptolomeus Eliasaph, who was 
slain by the Romans for his patriotic devotion to his 
country. He dwells near the G-aza gate, with his 
widowed mother, who is a noble lady, honored by all 
lips that discourse of her. Between this young man, 
whose name is John, and Mary there exists a beautiful 
attachment, not ardent enough to be love, but sincere 
enough for the purest friendship ; yet each day their 
friendship is ripening into the deepest emotion. He has 
just returned from the vicinity of Jericho, where he has 
been for some days past, drawn thither by curiosity, to 
see and hear the new prophet, alluded to by me at the 
close of my last letter, whose fame has spread far and 
wide, and who is drawing thousands into the wilderness, 
to listen to the eloquence that flows from his mouth. 
The young man had been giving Mary so interesting an 
account of him that she desired me also to be a listener ! 
In my next I will write you all I heard ; and I trust, 
dear father, you will patiently bear with me in all 
things ; and believe that, however I may, from the 
investigating character of my mind, venture upon 
sacred mysteries, I shall never be less a lover of the 
God of our Father Abraham, nor less the affectionate 
and devoted Adina to thee ! Adieu. 


Adina. 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


43 


LETTER III. 

My Dear Father : 

This morning, as I was coming from the Temple, 
whither I had gone to worship and witness the imposing 
ceremony of the presentation of the First Fruits, I 
noticed a vast pile of edifices crowning the opposite rock, 
which I was told was the Tower of Antonia. It seemed 
to frown sternly upon the Temple ; and upon its battle- 
ments glittered, at intervals, numerous Roman eagles. 
I had so often heard you relate historical events con- 
nected with this celebrated castle, that I regarded it 
with peculiar interest. You, who had so frequently 
described it to me, seemed to stand by my side as I 
gazed upon it. The four towers, one at each corner, are 
still as they stood when you fought from the northern- 
most one, and defended it single-handed against the 
Romans. But now these barbarians throng its courts, 
and their bugles, which have sounded from the conquered 
walls of every land on earth, are even heard in the ears 
of the citizens of Jerusalem. The insolence and power 
of the Roman garrison have made the beatiful walk 
about the base of the Tower almost deserted ; but of 
this I was not aware ; and, attended only by my Ethi- 
opian slave, Onia, I lingered to admire the splendor of 
the cloister once surrounding the treasure-house of the 
Temple, with its terraces supported by white marble 

3 


50 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF HAYED. 


pillars, fifteen cubits high, when two Roman soldiers 
coming from one of the city gates, approached, on their 
way back to the castle. It was then that I saw I was 
alone, the company who had left the Temple with me 
being gone far in advance. I drew my veil closely, and 
would have passed them with a rapid step, when one ol 
them placed himself in my path, and catching hold of 
my veil tried to detain me. I left it in his grasp and 
was flying, when the other soldier arrested me. This 
was in full view of the castle, and at my shrieks the 
barbarians in the castle laughed aloud. At this crisis 
appeared a young Centurion, who was on horseback, 
coming down the rocky path that ascends the Rock of 
Zion, and shouting to them, he galloped forward, and 
with his sword put the men, who were drunk with wine, 
to immediate flight, and rescuecf me, at the same time 
sending the two soldiers under arrest into the castle. 
He then addressed me in the gentlest manner, and apolo- 
gised for the rudeness I had met with at the hands of 
his men, saying that they should be severely dealt with. 
I was struck with his manly beauty, his civility, and 
his air of patrician command, although he could not 
have been more than eight and twenty. In order to 
escort me safely to the streets below, he alighted from 
his horse, and leading him by the rein, walked by my 
side. I confess to you, dear father, I had not reached 
the house of my relative before my prejudices against 
the Romans were greatly modified. I had found in one 
of them as courteous a person as I had ever met with 
among my own countrymen, and for his sake I was 
willing to think better of his barbaric land and people. 
He saw through my prejudices, and how I shrunk from 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


51 


him as he walked by me ; and while we descended the 
height he spoke eloquently in defence of his native land, 
of its fair daughters, of its wise men, its brave chiefs, 
its power and glory, and its dominion over the whole 
earth ! 

When I heard him use these last words, I sighed 
deeply, for Judah, it is prophesied, should have domin- 
ion over the whole earth, and these Romans, therefore, 
hold the dominion that rightfully belongs to our people. 
How is this, dear father ? How is it that these barbaric 
men are permitted by Jehovah to hold the sceptre that is 
the rightful heritage of the Lion of the tribe of Judah ? 
How many times in a day, since I have been in Jerusa- 
lem, have I been reminded of the degradations of my 
people ? How is it that these enemies of Jehovah, these 
worshipers of false gods, stand in the Holy place, and 
usurp the power that Grod has given to us ? 

I put these questions to Amos, the good priest, after I 
had returned home ; for my account of my adventure 
naturally led to a conversation upon the Roman domin- 
ion over the earth. It appears that this noble Centurion 
is not unknown to Rabbi Amos, who speaks of him as 
one of the most popular Roman officers in command of 
the city. I am glad to hear this. He also gave me 
warning not to approach again near the garrison points 
of the town, as the soldiers take pleasure in giving an- 
noyance to the citizens. 

While I was writing the above, a commotion without, 
as if something unusual was occurring, drew me to the 
lattice, which overlooks the street that goes out of the 
gate to Bethany, one of the most frequented thorough- 
fares in the city. The sight that met my eyes was truly 


52 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID . 


imposing, but made my heart sink with shame. It was 
a pageant, with banners, eagles, trumpets, and gilded 
chariots ! but not the pageant of a king of Israel, like 
those which dazzled the streets of Jerusalem in the days 
of Solomon and king David ! not the triumphant passage 
of an Israelitish prince, but of the Roman governor ! 
Preceded by a cohort of horse, he rode in a gilded war- 
chariot, lolling at his ease beneath a silken shade of blue 
silk, fringed with gold. The horses were snowy- white, 
and covered with silver mail, and adorned with plumes. 
He was followed by another body of cavalry, chiefly 
composed of richly attired young men, and at the head 
of them, loooking more like a ruler and prince than the 
indolent Pilate, I beheld the generous Centurion who 
had aided my escape from the two soldiers. His eye 
sought the lattice at which I stood, and I drew back, 
but not before he had seen me and saluted me. Cer- 
tainly, father, this youth is noble and courteous enough 
to be a Jew, and should any providence cause us to 
meet again, I shall try to convert him from his idolatry 
to serve the living Jehovah. I was not pleased with the 
appearance of the governor. He is a dark, handsome 
man, but too fleshy, and with the countenance of one 
given to much wine ; and I learn that he is naturally 
indolent and luxurious, and deficient in decision of cha- 
racter. He is a particular friend of the Roman Empe- 
ror, and to his partiality he owes the governorship here. 
It is, however, better to have a table-lover and idle man 
for our master, than a cruel and active tyrant like his 
predecessor, in an insurrection against whom was slain 
that eminent man, the father of John, the cousin of Mary, 
of whom I spoke to you in my last letter. 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


53 


And this reminds me that I had something to relate 
to you. You will remember, dear father, that I alluded 
to an excitement that is increasing every day, in refer- 
ence to a new prophet, who is preaching in the wilder- 
ness of Jericho, and whose life is as austere as was that 
of Elijah ! For three weeks past several parties of citi- 
zens have been to the valley of Jordan to see and hear 
him, and have so far been carried away by him, as to 
have been baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their 
sins. Among these is John, the cousin and betrothed 
of Mary, who, having heard much said of the power with 
which this man spoke, by those who had returned, also 
went to satisfy his curiosity, and, as he says, with a 
secret hope that Grod had again remembered Israel, and 
sent to us a prophet of reconciliation. Upon his return 
we saw that his countenance was animated beyond its 
wont, for he is usually of a sad and gentle aspect, and 
that his line eyes beamed with an ardent hope, that 
seemed new-born in his soul. He thus recounted to us 
his visit to the prophet of Jordan : 

“ After leaving the gate and crossing the brook and 
valley of Kedron, I encountered a large company, who 
were ascending the road that winds over the south side 
of Olivet. These were men, women, and children, and 
they were provided with food in baskets, and travel as 
our people do, when they come up to the Feast of the 
Passover. I found, on joining them, that they were 
directing their steps also towards the wilderness, in 
order to hear the great prophet, whose fame was in all 
men’s mouths. Among them were priests and judges,; 
Sadducees, and Pharisees, and E senes, and even men of 
no faith ; for even in Judah we have many ten thou- 


54 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


sands who believe in no God, so long has it been since 
Jehovah has visited his people ! 

“ Passing on ahead of this company, I being well 
mounted, and they travelling slowly, I at length reached 
the summit of the hill, from which I looked back to take 
a parting glance at the city. How like 6 the City of 
God ’ it crowned its lordly hills ! All the glory of Jeru- 
salem, of the past, came before my memory, and I sighed 
that that glory had departed, not in the destruction of 
its edifices, for Jerusalem is still magnificent and impo- 
sing, but in the downfall of its power. I heard, distant 
as I was, the strains of the Roman bugles, echoing over 
the valleys where the prophets, priests, and kings lay 
buried, and reverberating from the Temple walls, the 
sacred echoes of which, aforetime, had been awakened 
by the voice of God ! Gethsemane, the fair garden of 
Solomon, where he tried to create a second Eden, lay at 
my feet, its walls broken, and its walks wild and over- 
grown ; here and there a fig or an olive, or a palm tree 
only, remaining to tell the passing traveller that here 
was 4 the delight of gardens, the abode of pleasure and 
of mirth, from -which were excluded all who were 
sorrowful, that no tears might fall upon its enameled 
floors, dedicated to voluptuous joy.’ This description of 
it, given by our poets, passed through my mind, as I 
beheld its melancholy and deserted aspect — looking more 
like a place of tears than of joy, as if its shades would 
invite the sorrowful to weep in them, rather than the 
silvery feet of the dancer ! 

“ I soon reached the pretty town of Bethpage, where, 
at the inn, I beheld several horsemen just mounting, to 
go in the direction of Jericho. Several of them I knew, 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


55 


and, on joining the cavalcade, learned they were for the 
most part drawn out of Jerusalem on the same errand of 
curiosity . with myself. But one of them, however, a 
wealthy young noble of Arimathea, was actuated by the 
same holy desire that burned in my bosom, a desire that 
we might, in the prophet who was called John, discover 
a man sent from Grod. The others were bent on com- 
merce, on pleasure, or mere idle curiosity, to see one of 
whom every one talked in all the land of Judea. As 
Joseph of Arimathea and I rode together, we conversed 
about the man we expected to see, and the different 
reports which were noised abroad respecting him. My 
companion seemed to believe that he was a true prophet, 
for being very well read in the scriptures, he said that 
the seventy weeks of Daniel were now about completed, 
when the Messiah was to come ! I then asked him if 
he believed that the Messiah, who was to be 4 a Prince 
and King, and have dominion from the sea to the ends 
of the earth,’ would come in the. wilderness, clad in the 
skins of wild beasts ? To this he replied, that he could 
not regard this prophet as the Messiah, for when the 
Christ should come, he was 4 suddenly to come to the 
Temple,’ and that we should doubtless first see him 
there ; but that he was greatly in hopes that the prophet 
we were going to see would prove to be the forerunner , 
foretold by Malachi. Having a roll of the Prophet 
Daniel with me, for I took the Prophets along to com- 
pare what I should hear the preacher of Jordan proclaim, 
with them, I saw to my surprise, that not only the 
seventy weeks had about reached their completion, but 
that the expiration of the 4 thousand two hundred and 
ninety days’ drew presently nigh ! We were both sur- 


56 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


prised at this coincidence with the advent of this new 
prophet ; and joy and fear trembled in our hearts, tem- 
pered with hopes we dared not utter. 

44 4 Those who heard him,’ said Joseph, as we rode 
into the village of Bethany, 4 say that he publicly pro- 
claims himself the forerunner of the Messiah. The opinion 
of the more ignorant who have listened to him is, that it 
is Elijah himself, returned to the earth ! while others 
assert that it is Enoch himself, come down from heaven ; 
and not a few believe him to be Isaiah.’ 

44 In tills manner, conversing, we crossed a hill, where, 
tradition says, stood the Tree of the Knowledge of Good 
and Evil, and also, where rested the foot of Jacob’s lad- 
der ; and from which place, it is believed by many, all 
good men after the resurrection shall ascend into the third 
heaven ; for it is the common belief that the throne of 
Jehovah is directly above it. 

44 At length, after a long day’s ride, during which we 
had overtaken and passed many large companies hurry- 
ing forward to hear the prophet, also meeting many 
returning, spreading wonderful accounts of his eloquence, 
wisdom, and power, we came in sight of Jericho. The 
city is very stately, with its Roman towers and palaces, 
it being the favorite winter resort of the governors. Its 
situation, in a green valley, was refreshing to the eyes, 
after our dreary ride all day over the broken and barren 
hills. On our left, a mile before you come to the town, 
we passed the ruins of the tower and house of Hiel, who 
rebuilt Jericho in the days of the Kings. To the right 
was the field where the Chaldean army defeated our 
fathers in battle, and took King Zedekiah captive ; it 
was now covered with beautiful gardens, and smiled as 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


57 


if peace had ever dwelt in its sweet shades. On an 
eminence, to the north of us, about half a league off, 
Joseph, who had often travelled this way, made me 
take notice of the ruins of Ai, and of the hill of ambush, 
where lay the warriors of Joshua, who surprised and 
cut off the city. As we approached the city, I could 
not but recall the period when Israel’s hundred thou- 
sands, shod with the sandals they had worn forty years 
in the wilderness, marched seven times around it. In 
imagination I heard their martial tread shaking the 
very earth, and beheld the princely Joshua, standing 
aloof on an eminence near, directing the solemn march. 
I heard again the thunder of the trumpets of the hosts 
of God seven times sounded, and saw the proud wall 
of the city fall, darkening the whole heavens with the 
clouds of dust that rolled over the heads of awe-struck 
Israel ! But how different was the reality ! The set- 
ting sun was gilding the firmly standing towers, tur- 
rets, pinnacles, and battlements of the Roman city, 
lending to it a splendor that moved the soul to admira- 
tion ; and the blue sky bent serenely without a cloud 
above it ; and the circling vale, instead of echoing to the 
tread of an armed host, for whom Jehovah fought, was 
now filled with Roman knights and ladies on gay parties 
of pleasure, and processions of maidens moving to the 
cemetery of the tombs, clad in snow-white vestments, 
casting flowers in their path, and chanting sacred songs ; 
for it was the day in which the daughters of Jericho 
celebrate the hapless fate of the lovely daughter of 
Jephtha, by visiting her sepulchre ; for she was born and 
buried in this city, where Jephtha long dwelt ere he 
removed to Mizpah ; and hither her sacrificed body was 
conveyed to be placed in the tombs of her fathers 


58 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


“ At the gate we were stopped by a Roman soldier, who 
demanded our passports and the traveller’s tribute, 
which humiliating affair settled, we rode into the city ; 
for it was our intention to pass the night there, and 
early in the morning walk to the hanks of the Jordan, 
where we understood the prophet was teaching and 
baptizing.” 

At this point of the narative of the cousin of Mary, 
dear father, I will close this letter. We had all listened 
with the deepest attention, not so much for the interest 
it contained in itself, as on account of the manner in 
which he recited what he had seen ; his face being 
calmly beautiful, his eyes soft and expressive, his voice 
musical, and his whole aspect the true and expressive 
manifestation of the intelligence, gentleness, amiability, 
and noble ardor of piety which belong to his whole char- 
acter. In my next I will resume his narrative, dear 
father ; for when I have given it to you wholly, I have 
many things to ask you to which it gives rise in my 
mind. May the blessing of the Grod of Israel be upon 
thee, my dearest father ! 

Adina. 


LETTER IY. 


My Dear Father : 

I have had the pleasure to-day, not only of hearing 
from you, but of being assured of your continued wel- 
fare. The messages of parental affection contained in 
your letter are cherished in my heart. The costly gifts 
of your generous love, sent by you with the letter, and 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


59 


which were safely delivered from your hand into mine, 
by your faithful servant Elec, will he worn by me with 
all a daughter’s pride. I regret to hear of the death of 
Rabbi Israel, while I rejoice that the high office he held 
with so much dignity, has been bestowed upon you by 
the Pro-consul ; for though you may not need its emolu- 
ments, dear father, such selection is a flattering proof 
of the estimation in which you are held by the Roman 
G-overnor. 

You need not fear, my dear father, that I shall be 
carried away from the faith of Israel by any strange 
doctrines ; I will take counsel by your wisdom, and be 
cautious how I adventure in my inquiries upon sacred 
ground. I have freely written to you for your advice, 
and I trust that you will not look upon my inquiries as 
expressions of doubt, but as searchings after what is true. 
I know you are read in the law above all Jews, and 
that any difficulties I may meet with in observing 
things here in Jerusalem, especially in the worship and 
ceremonies of the Temple, you will remove for me. 

In my last letter, which will not reach your hands for 
some days yet, I commenced giving you the narrative 
of John, the cousin of Mary, who went down into the 
wilderness to see and hear the prophet of Jordan. I 
will not take it upon myself to decide or form an 
opinion upon any thing yet, dear father, but state facts, 
and let your wisdom instruct me into the truths that 
may grow out of them. One thing which your letter 
states gratifies me, and gives me confidence ; it is these 
words : “ Do not fear that the integrity of the laws of 
Moses, or of the worship of the Temple, or the predic- 
tions of the Prophets, can be moved by any investiga- 


60 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAYID: 


tions that man can make into them. They are founded 
in truth, and will abide forever. The worship of Israel 
fears nothing from inquiry. But while you ask and 
question about sacred things, remember that they be- 
long to God, and must be inquired into with awful 
reverence and profound humility. Any inquiries made 
into the prophecies with an eye to search out their day 
of fulfillment, are proper and useful ; and as this day 
seems to be that of fulfillment rather than that of pre- 
diction, your studies may be suggested and directed by 
heavenly wisdom, and, if so, they will be guided to 
their true issue. As 1 am so far removed from you, I 
cannot judge concerning this prophet your first letter 
named as being in the wilderness ; yet I should not be 
surprised if the fullness of time indicated by Isaiah 
were near at hand, for the events you enumerated seem 
to proclaim its approach : such as the lax worship in the 
Temple ; the worship of the Roman idols on Mount 
Zion ; the profanation of the altar ; and the rule of the 
heathen over the empire of David. Let us fervently 
pray, my child, for the fulfillment of the prophecies, 
which promise Messiah to our stricken people ! Let us 
supplicate for the rising of the Star of Jacob, the Prince 
of Peace, who shall erect his throne on Mount Zion, and 
whose sceptre shall be a sceptre of righteousness ; under 
whose wide dominion Israel shall lift up her head and 
rule the nations. My daily prayer, with my face to- 
wards Jerusalem, is, that I may live to behold the hope 
of Israel, and with my eyes see the splendor of the glory 
of Shiloh.” 

These words of yours, my dear father, give me cour- 
age. I believe with you that the day of fulfillment of 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


61 


the Prophets is dawning ; and perhaps is nearer than we 
believe. When I have completed the history of John’s 
journey to Jordan to hear the prophet, you will under- 
stand why I speak with such hopeful confidence ; and 
you will agree with me that this preacher of repentance 
is not one of the class of false prophets, against whose 
chimeras your letter so properly cautions me. 

“¥e arose at dawn,” said Mary’s cousin, in continu- 
ation of his interesting narrative, “ and leaving the inn, 
we took our way out of the city, by the eastern gate, 
which we easily found, inasmuch as a quarter of the 
city was in motion, and moving in the same direction. 
Here we were detained by the Gentile guards for full 
half-an-hour, till the multitude had become so immense 
as to tread one upon another, and fill the whole street. 
Nevertheless we had to wait until the indolent Captain 
of the Grate chose to be disturbed in his morning repose, 
and then bathe his dainty limbs, and then break his 
fast, all which he did very deliberately, before he would 
suffer the gate to be opened ! Such slaves are we to 
such masters ! Oh, when shall arrive the day wherein, 
as saith Isaiah, ‘ our gates shall be opened continually ; 
they shall not be shut day nor night, that men may 
bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their 
kings may be brought captives to our feet.’ 

“ Having passed out of the gate, my friend of Arima- 
thea and myself separated a little from the crowd, and 
crossed the plain towards Jordan. The morning was 
balmy ; the sun made all nature glad. The dew re- 
flected a myriad lesser suns, and the earth appeared 
strewn with diamonds. For a little way the road lay 
between fields of corn and gardens ; but soon it crossed 


62 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DATED : 

the open plain, on which were droves of wild asses, 
which lifted their small, spirited heads on our approach, 
eyed us with timid curiosity, and then hounded off 
to the wilderness southward with the speed of antelopes. 
As the great body of the people took their way obliquely 
across the plain, we knew the prophet must be in that 
direction, as it proved, for we at length found him on 
the hanks of Jordan, below the landing and ford, which 
is opposite Jericho, on the great caravan road to Balbec 
and Assyria, that long and weary road so often travelled 
by our forefathers when they have been led into cap- 
tivity — the road which so many kings have watered 
with their tears ! We gazed upon it with emotions of 
sadness, and with tearful prayers that Jehovah would 
return and visit once more the remnant of his people, 
and not be angry with us forever ! After we had ap- 
proached the Jordan some distance above the ford, we 
beheld the multitude listening to the prophet far to the 
south of us, on the edge of the desert, which approaches 
in this quarter very near Jericho. As we traversed the 
banks of the flowing stream, we came all at once upon 
a pillar of stones partly in the water. 4 This,’ said my 
companion, stopping, 4 is the Mount of Twelve Stones, 
which Israel set up to commemorate the passage of 
Jordan. Here they crossed on dry ground.’ 

44 1 counted them, and found but seven of them re- 
maining. What vicissitudes, I reflected, had not Israel 
passed through since the hands of our fathers placed 
that heap together ! Generations of judges and long 
lines of kings ; captivities succeeding captivities ; wars, 
conquests, and defeats, and subjection, finally, till we 
are no longer a people ; having a ruler, indeed, but 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


63 


whose power is a mockery — a Herod, holding his authori- 
ty at the courtesy of the Imperial Monarch of Rome. 
Alas, with the end of the reign of such a shadow of a 
king, the sceptre will forever depart from Judah !” he 
added, bitterly. 

“ Then will Shiloh come !” exclaimed my cousin Mary, 
with animation. 

“ Yes ; Judah must be abased to the lowest step, be- 
fore she can rise ! and with Shiloh king, her glory will 
fill the whole earth,” responded John, with hope once 
more beaming in his eyes. “ At length we drew near 
the dark mass of human beings which we had beheld afar 
off, assembled around a , small eminence near the river. 
Upon it, raised a few cubits taller than their heads, stood 
a man upon whom all eyes were fixed, and to whose 
words every ear was attentive. His clear, rich, earnest 
tones, had reached us as we approached, before we 
could distinguish what he said. He was a young man 
not above thirty, with a countenance such as the me- 
dallions of Egypt give to Joseph of our nation, once 
their Prince. His hair was long, and wildly free about 
his neck ; he wore a loose sack of camel’s hair, and his 
right arm was naked to the shoulder. His attitude was 
as free and commanding as that of a Caucasian warrior, 
yet every gesture was gentle and graceful. With all 
his ringing and persuasive eloquence there was an air of 
the deepest humility on his countenance, combined with 
an expression of the holiest enthusiasm. The people list- 
ened eagerly to him, for he spake like the prophets of 
old, and chiefly in their prophetic words ! His theme 
was the Messiah : 

“ ‘ Oh, Israel, return unto the Lord thy Grod, for thou 


64 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 

hast fallen by thine iniquity,’ he was saying, as we 
came up, as if in continuation of what had gone before. 
i Take with you words, and turn unto the Lord, and 
say unto Him : Take away all iniquity and receive us 
graciously. Behold, He cometh who will heal your back- 
sliding, and will love you freely ! He will be as the 
dew unto Israel ! He shall grow as the lily, and cast 
forth his roots as Lebanon ! His branches shall spread, 
and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his fruit 
shall be for the healing of the nations ! They that dwell 
under his shadow shall return and dwell evermore ; and 
it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the 
name of the Lord shall be delivered, for beside Him 
there is no Saviour.’ 

“ 1 Of whom speaketh the prophet these things ?’ asked 
one who stood near me, of his neighbor, and then of me ; 
for by this time we had taken places as close to the 
prophet as we were able ; for I did not wish to lose one 
word that should fall from the lips of a man who could 
thus empty cities, and people the wilderness with their 
inhabitants. 

“ ( Of Messiah — listen !’ answered him a Scribe near, 
as if not pleased to have his attention interrupted by his 
side talk. 6 His words are plain. Hear him.’ 

“ ‘ Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, for the day of the 
Lord cometh !’ continued the prophet, in a voice like that 
of a silver trumpet ; ‘ for, behold, the day is at hand 
when I will bring again the captivity of Judah. Put ye 
in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe ! The day is at hand 
when the Lord shall roar out of Zion and utter his voice 
from Jerusalem.’ 

“ 1 Art thou not Elias ?’ asked one, aloud. 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


65 


“ ‘ I am he of whom it is written, the voice of one 
crying in the wilderness, make straight a highway 
for onr God. The day of the Lord is at hand. I am 
but the herald who is sent before to prepare the way ot 
the Lord !’ 

44 4 Art thou not the Messiah V asked a woman, 
who stood near him, and seemed to worship his very 
lips. 

44 4 He who cometh after me is mightier than I, whose 
shoes I am not worthy to bear !’ he responded, in the 
deepest humiliation of manner. 4 He who cometh after 
me hath his fan in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge 
his floor and gather the wheat into the garner ; but will 
burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Therefore, 
repent ye, repent ye, take words and return unto the 
Lord your God. Repent and be baptized for the remis- 



as an oven, and take heed that ye be not consumed • 
The axe is laid at the root of the tree ; therefore every 
tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewn 
down and cast into the fire.’ 

44 4 Master,’ said a Levite, 4 dost thou speak these things 
to us, who are of Israel, or to these Gentiles and Samari- 
tans V for there were not a few Roman soldiers among 
the multitude, drawn hither by curiosity, and also 
many people from Samaria, nay, even from Damascus. 

44 4 Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saith the 
Lord, for my people hath committed two evils ; they 
have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and 
hewn them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold 
no water. The Lord hath made me this day an iron 
pillar and brazen wall against the whole land — against 


66 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against 
the priests thereof, and against the people of the land ! 
And yet thou sayest, 0, Israel, thou hast not sinned ! 
Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy hack- 
sliding shall reprove thee. Repent and do works meet 
for repentance, every one of you, for ye have polluted 
the land ; neither say, where is the Lord that brought 
us up out of the land of Egypt ? I am provoked to 
anger every day by your hardness of heart and stiff- 
neckedness. Amend, amend your doings ! Trust not 
to lying words, saying, The Temple of the Lord, The 
Temple of the Lord, The Temple of the Lord ! Ye have 
made it a den of robbers ! Your sacrifices therein are 
become an abomination to the Lord !’ 

“ ‘ This would touch us who are priests, masters,’ 
said a priest, 'with a crimson brow. ‘ We are not 
robbers.’ 

“ 1 Thus saith the Lord,’ answered the youthful 
prophet, as if it were (rod Himself speaking from Horeb, 
so that we trembled as we heard him : ‘Woe. be unto 
the pastors that destroy my sheep ; I will visit upon 
you the evil of your doings. How is the gold become 
dim — how is the most fine gold changed ! The precious 
sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they es- 
teemed ? Her priests were purer than snow ! they 
were whiter than milk ; they were more ruddy in body 
than rubies ; their polishing was of sapphire ! Their visage 
is blacker than coal ; they feed the children of my peo- 
ple with ashes for bread ! Woe to Zion, for the sins 
of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests ! Run 
ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and seek 
in the broad places thereof, saith the Lord, if you can 
find a man that executeth judgment, that seeketh truth ! 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


67 


Though they say the Lord liveth, surely they swear 
falsely. Hear ye this, 0 priests, and hearken, ye house 
of Israel ! Woe unto you, ye priests, for ye have trans- 
gressed. I have seen in the prophets of Jerusalem a 
horrible thing ; they commit adultery and walk in lies, 
saith the Lord. My people have transgressed for lack 
of knowledge ! Therefore I will reject thee, saith the 
Lord ; thou shalt he no priest to me since thou hast for- 
gotten the law of thy G-od. Like people, like priests ! 
Therefore doth the land mourn, and every one that dwel- 
eth therein languisheth. Therefore do swearing and 
lying, and killing and stealing, and committing adultery, 
break out in the land, because there is no truth, nor 
mercy, nor knowledge of G-od in the land. Woe unto 
you, ye priests !’ Many of the Levites then turned and 
left him, and went away greatly murmuring ; and they 
would gladly have done the prophet a mischief, but they 
feared the multitude, who said he had spoken only the 
truth of them. 1 But the elders of Israel, who are not 
priests, who spring from Abraham, shall be saved by 
Abraham, master?’ asserted, or rather inquired, a rich 
ruler of our city, after the tumult caused by the with- 
drawal of the Levites had a little subsided. The youth- 
ful prophet rested his dark eyes, like two suns, upon the 
old man’s face, and said impressively, £ Begin not to say 
within yourself, we have Abraham to our father, for I 
say unto you,’ he added, pointing to the pebbles at his 
feet, ‘ that God is able of these stones to raise up child- 
ren unto Abraham. He is of Abraham who doth right- 
eousness ; therefore repent, and bring forth fruits meet 
for repentance.’ 

Here was heard some murmuring among a group of 


68 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


many Pharisees and Sadducees at these words, when, 
sending his lightning glance towards them, as if he 
could read their very hearts, he cried : 

“ ‘ 0 generation of vipers! Who hath warned you to 
flee from the wrath to come ? The day cometh when 
he who is to come shall sit as a purifier by his furnace. 
Bring forth, therefore, fruits meet for repentance. Wash 
thy heart from wickedness, that thou mayest he saved. 
And ye, daughters of Judah, repent you of the vain 
thoughts that lodge within you,’ cried he, addressing 
many females in rich apparel and plaited hair ; 1 gird ye 
with sackcloth, lament and howl ; put away these 
abominations out of my sight, and fear the Lord. 
Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou 
deckest thyself with ornaments of gold, though thou 
rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make 
thyself fair ; for I hear the voice of the daughters of 
Zion bewailing themselves, and spreading forth their 
hands in the day when they are spoiled and despised for 
their iniquities. Repent ye , for the kingdom of heaven 
is at hand ! 

“ 1 Hear, 0 Israel ! Am I a G-od at hand and not a 
God afar off, saith the Lord. Hear ye the message of 
the Most High, for the day hath come when Jehovah 
shall once more visit the earth and talk face to face with 
His creatures. Behold the day hath come saith the 
Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous branch, 
ahd a king to reign and prosper, who shall execute 
judgment and justice on the earth. 

“ ‘ Behold the day hath come, saith the Lord, in 
which Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell 
safely, when I will set up shepherds over them, which 
shall feed them, and they shall lack nothing ! 


OB, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


69 


* Arise! shine, for thy light is come! Hear, 0 
Israel ! for Zion’s sake I will not hold my peace ; I will 
not rest until the righteousness thereof go forth as 
brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that 
burneth. Arise ! shine, for thy light is come, and the 
glory of the Lord is risen upon thee! Darkness covereth 
the earth, and gross darkness the people, as saith Esaias ; 
but the Lord shall rise upon thee, and His glory shall 
be seen upon thee. The Grentiles shall come to His 
light, and kings to the brightness of His rising. He 
shall be called The Lord of our Righteousness, and 
shall be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and 
a royal diadem in the hand of thy Hod. The Spirit of 
the Lord is upon me to proclaim the acceptable year of 
His coming. He hath set me a watchman upon thy 
walls, 0 Israel, and I may neither hold my peace day 
nor night, nor keep silence, nor seek rest, till He come, 
who hath sent me forth His messenger before His face. 
How can I refrain from my message of joy ? How shall 
I not speak of His fame ? His sons shall come from 
afar, and His daughters shall be nursed at His side. 
The people of the nations shall fly as a cloud, and as 
doves to their windows, to behold, fall down, and adore 
Him. The isles shall wait for His law, and kings shall 
minister unto Him, even unto the Holy One of Israel. 
Saith He, I, the Lord, am thy Saviour and thy Re- 
deemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. Say ye to the 
daughters of Zion, Behold thy salvation cometh ; behold, 
His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. 
Ho, every one that thirsteth,’ he now cried, raising his 
voice like the chief of a host, till the farthest heard, 

4 come ye to the waters ; yea, come buy wine and milk, 


70 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


without money and without price. Incline your ear 
and come unto Him. Hear, and your soul shall live. 
Repent, keep justice and judgment ; and prepare a con- 
trite heart to offer Him when thou shalt behold Him ; 
for thus saith the High and Lofty One that inhabiteth 
eternity, whose name is Holy, I dwell in the high and 
holy place with him, also, that is of a contrite and 
humble spirit. Peace, peace to him that is afar off, and 
to him that is near, saith the Lord. 

“ 1 Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise 
from the ends of the earth: for thus saith God the Lord, 
He that created the heavens and stretched them out ; He 
that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out 
of it; He that giveth breath unto the people upon it, 
and spirit to them that walk therein : Behold my ser- 
vant whom I uphold — mine elect in whom my soul 
delighteth : I have put my spirit upon Him ; he shall 
bring forth judgment to the Gentiles ; a bruised reed 
shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not 
quench. I, the Lord, saith Jehovah, addressing the 
only begotten, I have called thee in righteousness, and 
will hold thy hand and keep thee, and will give thee for 
a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles, to 
open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the 
prison. I am the Lord, that is my name, and my glory 
will I not give to another ; yet have I made Him my 
first-born, higher than the kings of the earth. Look 
unto Him, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth ; 
for unto Him every knee shall bow, every tongue shall 
swear. Our Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts is His name, 
the Holy One of Israel ! ’ 

“All this was spoken with an enthusiasm and fire 
that made every pulse bound. 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


71 


“ Such,” said John, “ was the extraordinary style of 
this mighty prophet’s preaching ; and to those who read 
the books of the Prophets, every word shone with the 
brightness of the sun. I fancied I had only to look 
around to behold the Messiah ! The immense multitude 
stood awed and silent when he had ceased. I gazed 
upon him with adoring reverence. My heart filled with 
holy joy ; for I now believed and knew that God had 
remembered Zion, and was about to display his wonders 
more remarkably on earth than ever had been witnessed 
before. Leaving the eminence, he said, and I thought 
he fixed his eyes on me, 4 Ye who desire to be baptized 
for the remission of sins, that your hearts may be 
cleansed for the visitation of this Holy One of God, fol- 
low me to the river side !’ Thousands obeyed, and I 
one of the first. I trembled all over with a sweet plea- 
sure, when he took me by the hand, and asked me if I 
believed in Him who was to come, and would prepare 
the way for His abode in my heart by being baptized, 
which rite also was to be a sign and pledge that when I 
should behold the Shiloh rising, I should acknowledge 
Him. Not less than one thousand were baptized by him 
that day in Jordan, confessing their sins, and hopes of 
pardon through the name of the Unknown One, who 
was soon to come. Among these were Pharisees and 
Sadducees, rulers and lawyers, and one gray-headed 
Roman soldier. Joseph of Arimathea was not baptized, 
as he said he wished to examine into the extraordinary 
subject fully before he could believe. 

“After the baptism, the whole company dispersed in 
groups, and the prophet returned into the wilderness till 
the cool of the evening, where his repast was locusts and 


72 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


the wild honey of the desert. When he re-appeared, he 
again spoke to an increased multitude. In this second 
sermon, he explained more clearly the application of the 
glittering chain of prophecies he had given utterance to 
in the morning, to Messias, and thus enabled me to dis- 
cern more clearly the true character of the expected 
Messias than I had before done.” 

"With this remark of his, dear father, I close my long 
letter. I make no comments. I will only say, that my 
expectations are actively awake, and that I am looking, 
with thousands of others, for the near advent of the 
Messiah. 

Your daughter, 

Adina. 


LETTER Y. 


My Dear Father : 

Although hut three days have elapsed since I com- 
pleted my last letter to you, I am so solicitous to have 
your judgment and counsel upon the remarkable events 
now occupying the public mind of Israel, that I cannot 
withhold giving you the further relation of the remain- 
ing circumstances connected with the visit of Mary’s 
cousin, John, to the divine prophet of Jordan. Inasmuch 
as his words have made a deep impression upon my 
mind, and moved me to believe with him in the truth 
of this prophet’s words, it is proper that you should 
know with me all that he has told me, and which have 
influenced my feelings and opinions, in order that you 
may judge of the weight and value at what all I have 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


73 


heard is to he estimated ; and he assured, dear father, 
that I am ready to be governed in all things by your 
wisdom and learning. Listen, then, with your usual 
goodness, to the residue of this young man’s narration. 

“After the prophet had ended his second discourse, 
and baptized full two hundred more in the sparkling 
waters of Jordan,” resumed the eloquent cousin of Mary, 
“ he sent them away to the city to lodge and buy meat ; 
for few, in their eagerness to hear him, had brought 
provisions with them. Many, before leaving him, drew 
near to receive his -blessing of love, and it was touching 
to see venerable men, with locks shining like silver, and 
leaning upon the staff, bend their aged heads before the 
youthful Elias, as if in acknowledgment of his divine 
commission. Mothers also brought their infants, that he 
might bless them ; and youths and maidens knelt reve- 
rently at his feet in tears of love and penitence. Calmly 
he stood upon the green shores, like an angel alighted 
upon earth, and blessed them in words all new to our 
ears, hut which thrilled to our hearts with some secret 
power that agitated us with trembling joy. 

“ 1 In the name of the Lamb of God I bless thee T 

“What can be the meaning of these words ?” asked 
Mary, with her gentle earnestness. Her betrothed could 
only reply that he knew not. 

“ At length, one after another, the multitude departed, 
save a few who encamped beneath trees on the banks of 
the river. Joseph of Arimathea and I were left almost 
alone standing near the prophet, and regarding him with 
reverential curiosity. The sun was just disappearing 
over the distant towers of Jericho, and painting with the 
richest purple the hills between the river and Jerusalem. 

4 


74 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


Jordan, catching its reddening radiance, rolled past like 
a river of liquid gold embanked in emerald. The brow 
of the prophet, lighted up by a sun-ray that shone be- 
tween the branches of a pomegranate tree, seemed like 
the face of Moses when he came down from Sinai, a 
glory of light. He appeared rapt in heavenly medita- 
tion, and we stood silent and gazed upon him, not daring 
to speak. At length he turned towards us, smiled, and 
saluting us, grasped the crook or staff on which he had 
been leaning, for he was weary and pale with his labors 
of the day, and slowly walked down the shore in the 
direction of the wilderness. He had not advanced many 
steps when I felt an irresistible impulse to follow him. 
I burned to talk with him — to sit at his feet, and ask 
him questions about the great things I had heard him 
utter in both of his discourses ! I wished him to explain 
and unfold what had seemed mysterious, and yet teem- 
ing with mighty revelations. I panted for light — for 
knowledge. I yearned to have him open the Scriptures 
to me, and give me that unlimited understanding of 
them which he possessed. I therefore said to my com- 
panion : 

“ ‘ Let us follow him, and learn more of those great 
things which we have this day heard.’ 

“Joseph, like myself, being anxious to hold converse 
with him, at onee assented, and we proceeded slowly 
after him, as he moved in a contemplative mood along 
the desert path. The sun had already gone down, and 
the full moon rose on the opposite shore, and the prophet 
stopped as if to gaze upon its autumnal beauty. "We 
drew near to him. He beheld us, but did not avoid us ; 
seeing which, I advanced with timid confidence, and 
said : 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


75 


44 4 Holy prophet of the Most High God, wilt thou per- 
mit two young men of Israel to speak to thee, for our 
hearts yearn towards thee with love ?’ 

4 4 4 And we would fain keep thee company in the de- 
sert, Rabbi,’ added Joseph, 4 for it does not seem well 
for thee to dwell thus alone.’ 

4 4 4 But chiefly,’ said I, 4 we would inquire of thee 
touching the advent of the Mighty Personage whose near 
coming thou dost foretell.’ 

44 4 Friends,’ said the prophet, in a calm and serene 
manner, 4 1 am a dweller in the desert, and alone, from 
choice. I approach men only to proclaim my message. 
The delights of earth are not for me. My mission is 
one. Its duration is short. Its aim worthy the greatest 
prophet of God, yet am I, the least of them, not worthy 
to be called a prophet ; and before the splendor of Him 
whom I announce to the world, I am the dust of the 
balance. If thou hast sought me to search after know- 
ledge, come and sit down with me upon this rock, and 
let me hear what thou hast to ask of me, that I may 
answer thee and go my way.’ 

44 This was said softly, gently, almost sadly, and in a 
tone that made me love him more and more. I could 
have cast myself upon his bosom and wept there ; for I 
was deeply touched that one should be chosen by Jeho- 
vah to become his prophet to earth, and yet show such 
lowliness of heart and sincere humility. We seated our- 
selves, one on either side of him, for he refused to permit 
us to place ourselves upon the ground at his feet, saying 
reproachfully, as he did to those whom we had seen 
kneel to him, 4 1, also, am a man !’ The scene and the 
hour were well fitted for such a converse as we were 


76 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


about to hold. The broad disc of the moon poured a 
flood of orange-tinted radiance full upon us, and lent a 
hallowed softness to the divine countenance of the youth- 
ful prophet. The Jordan, dark as India’s dye, darted 
swiftly past at our feet, between its deeply-shaded banks, 
sending up to our ears the faintest murmur of its pebbly 
passage. Above our heads swelled the vaulted arch ot 
the Temple of Jehovah, with its myriad of altar fires. 
To our left lay Jericho, just visible, looking like a black 
mass of castellated rock, unilluminated save by a single 
watch-fire which burned upon its loftiest tower. Behind 
us stretched the desert waste, cheerless and yet grand, 
in its desolate distances. 

“ Afar off rose upon the air, and was borne to us at in- 
tervals, the voice of a singer in one of the camps ; and 
near us, upon an acacia tree, sat a solitary bulbul, which 
ceaselessly sang its sweet and varied hymn to the listen- 
ing moon. 

“‘All things praise G-od — shall we be silent?’ said 
the prophet. 4 Let us sing the evening hymn of the 
Temple.’ He then commenced, in a rich, melodious 
chant, such as I have never heard from the priests, our 
sacred psalm to the whole creation of God. "We joined 
our voices with his, and the tide of praise floated over 
the waters, and echoed and re-echoed from the opposing 
shores, as if the banks and stream, trees, hills and sky, 
had found voice as well as we : 

“ ‘ Praise ! praise ! praise ye the Lord ! 

Praise Him in the heights ! Praise Him in the seas ! 

Praise Him men of Israel ! Praise ye the Lord ! 

For He exalteth high His people, 

And reigneth evermore ! 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


77 


Praise Him all ye angels ! Praise Him all ye hosts ! 

Praise Him sun and moon, and all ye stars of light ! 

Praise Him fire and hail ! Praise Him storm and snows ! 

For He judgeth the earth in righteousness, 

And reigneth evermore ! 

Praise ! praise ! praise ye the Lord ! 

Praise Him winged fowl, and herds, cattle, and all beasts ! 

Praise Him kings and people, princes, priests, and judges ! 

Praise Him youths and maidens, old men and children ! 

Praise the name, let them praise the name, 

Praise the name of the Lord God of Hosts ! 

For His name alone is excellent, 

His glory above the heavens : 

Israel is His first-born — a people well beloved ! 

Praise ! let Israel, therefore, praise Him ! 

Praise Him evermore, 

Evermore, 

Ever, evermore !’ 

“ Never shall I forget the effect produced upon my 
inmost being by this hymn, sung at such a time, and in 
such a place, and in such a company. The prophet sang 
as if he was leading a choir of angels. My heart leaped 
at the chorus, as if it would break out, take wing, and 
leave the earth ! When we called on the winds and the 
fowls of the air to praise Jehovah with us, it may he 
fancy, hut the thrilling voice of the bulbul seemed to 
pour from its throat a wilder, richer, more joyous tide of 
song, and the audible wind bent the adoring trees, and 
mingled its mystic whispers with the psalm of men ! 
Surely, thought I, it is good for me to he here, for this 
is none other than the gate of Paradise ! 

“After a few moments’ silence, the prophet spoke and 
said : 

“ ‘ You sought me, brethren of Israel, can I do aught 
for you ?’ 


78 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


“ ‘ We would hear more, great prophet, touching this 
mighty man, if man he may he termed, who is to come 
after thee,’ said Joseph. 

“ ‘ I can tell thee hut little, my brethren, save what 
thou hast heard from me this day. The future is veiled. 
I hear a message, indeed, hut I may not break the seal 
and read. I am hut the courier of Grod to man. To 
you it will he given to know what is now unknown to 
me. Happy, thrice happy are ye who will behold, face 
to face, the Divine One whom I can only behold afar off. 
If it he permitted me to see Him, it will he hut for a 
brief space, for when He cometh I depart — my errand is 
done. Blessed are those who live to witness His glory, 
and to hear the gracious voice of Grod that proceeds from 
His anointed lips.’ 

“ ‘When will he His advent, and with what form and 
power cometh this Divine being ?’ I asked. 

“‘As a man, hut not with comeliness of form that 
men should desire Him. His appearance will he humble, 
lowly, and meek.’ 

“ ‘ Yet you said to-day, Rabbi,’ I continued, ‘ that 
His power should he infinite, and that of His kingdom 
there should he no end. You spoke of the glory of His 
dominions, and the humiliation of Grentile kings beneath 
His sceptre.’ 

“ ‘ This I cannot explain — it is a mystery to me ! I 
speak as Grod, by whom I am sent, gives me utterance. 
I know that He who cometh after me is greater than I, 
the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose ! ’ 

“ ‘ You taught us this evening, holy prophet, that He 
would he the Lord from Heaven ; and yet that Esaias 
saith He will be despised and rejected of men, wounded 
for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities ! ’ 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


79 


*' ‘ The Spirit of God teaches me that these words apply 
to Shiloh ; but I cannot comprehend how these things 
can he,’ he answered, with deep sadness. 

“ ‘ May I remind you, good Rabbi,’ said Joseph, Ghat 
you taught us how that this Divine Personage should 
die, though Lord of Life, and be numbered in His death 
with transgressors, though the Holy one of God !’ 

‘“And such will be the events that are ordained to 
happen ; but seek not to know what no man hath had 
revealed to him. The Divine Messiah Himself must be 
His own interpreter. Blessed will be the eyes that be- 
hold Him, and listen to the wisdom of His mouth, and 
keep the law of His lips ! ’ 

“ i May I ask you, holy prophet of the Lord,’ said 
Joseph, ‘ how is it that He whom you are sent by God 
to bear witness to can be the Deliverer of Israel, when 
yon predict for Him so sad a fate ? Messiah is to 
restore Jerusalem, and the glory of the Temple, and the 
splendor of its worship, so saith Esaias, so say Ezra 
and Jeremiah. He is called a Mighty Prince, a King, 
the Redeemer of Israel, who shall rule the nations and 
have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river to the 
ends of the earth ! We, therefore, in the Messias of the 
Prophets, have looked for a powerful potentate, who 
shall reign in Jerusalem over the whole earth, and sub- 
due all nations, bringing their kings captive at His foot- 
stool, and binding their princes with chains ,* before 
whom every knee shall do homage — a Monarch who 
shall not leave a heathen sandal to tread on the sacred 
soil of Judea, and who shall establish the worship of 
Jehovah in every place where now rises a temple of 
idolatry.’ 


80 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


“ ‘ His kingdom is not of this earth,’ answered the 
prophet, impressively. 

“ 6 How then can we interpret the Prophet David, 
who maketh the Lord to say : I have set my King upon 
my holy hill of Zion? Also, how shall we interpret 
those sayings of Esaias, who, prophesying of the blessed 
Christ of God, hath these words : 

“ 6 Of the increase of his government and peace there 
shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his 
kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgment 
and with justice, from henceforth, even forever ? ’ 

“ 1 1 know not. These secrets are with God. I can 
reveal nothing. I am but the trumpet through which 
Jehovah speaks ; I know not the words I utter. This I 
know, that the least child and lowliest hireling that 
liveth in the day of Messias is greater than I. I am 
the last of the prophets. I stand on the threshold of 
that glorious kingdom, the greatness and brightness of 
which they saw afar off, like some heavenly, indistinct 
vision. Nearer than they, I am permitted to catch 
clearer glimpses of its glory, and it may be vouchsafed 
to me to see more than I now see ; but of this I have no 
certain revelation. It is for me to open the last door 
that leads out from the night of prophecy into the glo- 
rious dawn of the day of fulfillment ; but I am not per- 
mitted to enter beyond the threshold, or share in its 
blessings. All who come after me will be preferred 
before me. But the will of Jehovah be obeyed ! I am 
His creature, and to murmur becomes not dust. Bather 
let me rejoice that the day-star is about to rise, though 
His beams shine on all the earth but me.’ This was 
said with the most touching pathos. 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


81 


*' 1 We were both deeply moved, I myself even to tears, 
at hearing these words spoken by him. My heart 
yearned towards him with the most sacred sympathy. 
I sank on my knees, and kissing his hand, bathed it 
with my tears. 

u He gently raised me, and said in a sweet voice : 

“ 1 Brother beloved, thou shalt see Him to whom I 
bear witness, and He will love thee, and thou shalt 
repose in His bosom!’ At this saying,” continued the 
cousin of Mary, whose voice was tremulous with lively 
sensibility as he spoke hereof, “I burst into tears ; and, 
rising, I walked a little ways apart, and lifting up my 
eyes towards heaven, I prayed the G-od of our fathers 
that I might be found worthy of this blessed honor.” 

“ ‘ And shall I also behold this mighty Son of God ?’ 
asked Joseph, with solicitude. 

“ The prophet took his hand in his, and fixing upon 
him his eyes of prophetic brightness, said slowly, and in 
tones awe-inspiring and painfully sorrowful : 

“ ‘ Thou shalt one day bear him in thine arms, and 
lay him upon a couch which thou hast prepared for thine 
own repose. Thou knowest not now what I say, but 
thou shalt remember it when it cometh to pass !’ 

“ When he had thus spoken, he rose, and waving his 
hand to us both, he walked rapidly away towards the 
desert, and was soon lost to the eye in the obscurity of 
the darkness which hung over it. 

“ ‘ Didst thou hear him ?’ at length, after some min- 
utes’ pause, asked Joseph of me. ‘ What can his words 
mean ? They are prophetic of some fearful event. His 
eyes betrayed some terrible meaning. My heart is 
troubled.’ 


4 * 


82 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


“ 4 And mine rejoiceth,’ I answered. 4 We shall see 
Him ! I shall he near Him ! Oh, if He be like this 
sweet prophet of Grod, I shall love Him with all my 
soul’s being. How wonderful that we are to he thus 
associated with this Divine Person ! Welcome the hour 
of His blessed advent !’ 

44 4 Wilt thou welcome the advent of a sufferer ?’ said 
a voice so near that it startled us by its abruptness ; 
and, looking round, we saw, standing within the shadow 
of a wild olive tree, a young man who was a stranger, 
but to whom I afterwards became deeply attached. 
His face was pale and intellectual, and his form slight, 
but of the most symmetrical elegance. His question at 
once made me sorrowful, for it recalled the sad prophe- 
cies of Esaias. 

44 4 He is also to be King and Monarch of the world, 
and infinitely holy and good,’ I said. 4 If thou hast been 
near, thou hast heard the glorious things the prophet 
has spoken of Him.’ 

44 4 1 have been near — I was reclining beneath this 
tree, when you seated yourselves there. Be not deceived. 
The Divine Man who is to come is to be a man of sor- 
rows and acquainted with grief. He is to be rejected 
by Israel, and despised by Judah. Those whom He 
comes to bless will despise Him for His lowliness and 
obscurity. His life will be a life of tears, and toil, and 
heaviness of heart, and He will at last be cut off from 
among the living, with the ignominy due only to a 
transgressor. Dost thou welcome the advent of a 
sufferer ?’ 

4 4 4 But how knowest thou this? Art thou a prophet?’ 
I asked with surprise and admiration. 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


83 


“ 1 No, brother, but I have read the Prophets. I 
heard, moreover, the words of this holy man, sent from 
Hod, and he dwells more on the humility of the Christ 
than on His kingly grandeur. Believe me, the kingdom 
of Shiloh is not of this world. It cannot be of this 
world, if such is to be His life and death ; and that it is to 
be His life, Esaias clearly states. Let me read to you his 
words.’ He then took a roll of parchment from his bosom, 
and read by the clear tropical moonlight, that mysterious 
and inexplicable passage which beginneth with the 
words : ‘ Who hath believed our report ?’ When he 
had ended, and perceived the assenting impression he 
had made upon our minds, he resumed : ‘ This is not 
the history of a prosperous earthly monarch, but rather 
the painful record of a life of humiliation, of shame, and 
of contempt.’ 

“ ‘ But thou dost not say, brother,’ said Joseph, with 
some warmth, 4 that the sacred person borne witness to 
by this prophet is to be an object of contempt ?’ 

“ < Does not Esaias say that he will be despised, 
beaten with stripes, rejected of men, imprisoned, and 
put to death like a transgressor of the law ?’ 

“ ‘ There can be no question but that Esaias speaks 
of the Messiah,' I remarked. 

“ 4 This prophet of Jordan now bears full testimony to 
Esaias, and plainly maketh’ application of his words to 
Him whom he has come beforehand to proclaim,’ an- 
swered the young man, with singularly graceful elo- 
quence in all he said. 1 Let us who have been baptized 
this day for the remission of our sins, expect a Messiah 
of sorrows, not a conquering prince. Let us behold one 
who is to humble Himself beneath the yoke of human 


84 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID ■ 

infirmities, that He may be exalted, and draw all men 
after Him to a kingdom in the heavens.’ 

“ 4 But the throne of David’ — objected Joseph — 

44 4 Is at the right hand of G-od.’ 

44 4 But Jerusalem, and its rule over the nations — ’ 

44 4 Jerusalem that is above, will be over all.’ 

44 4 But His kingdom that is to be everlasting — ’ 

44 4 Is where life is everlasting. How can He rule an 
everlasting realm here on earth, without living forever, 
and his subjects also ? Bead not the Prophets so. As 
Adam fell and lost Paradise, so Messias, like a second 
Adam, must, as man, humble Himself in human nature, 
to atone for our guilt ; and having made full atonement 
for us by His life and His death, He will repurchase the 
kingdom of Paradise for the race of man ; but He re- 
stores it to us not on earth, but translated on high, 
where the angels still guard it in the kingdom of G-od. 
It is this kingdom which this prophet proclaims as being 
at hand, and the path to which our leader and king can 
only tread through the mire of Adam’s sin, which 
spreads through this world ; but without taint of sin 
upon His robes. He being the bearer of our iniquities, 
we shall thereby escape their chastisement. Healed by 
His stripes, we shall be free from the penalty which our 
sins demand. Laid upon Him will be the transgressions 
of the world ; and by one mighty sacrifice of Himself, 
thus laden, as a sin-offering, He shall make atonement 
for the great family of Adam, and restore our race to 
reconciliation with Jehovah. Such is to be our looked 
for Messiah. Alas, while we look for Him, let us mingle 
tears with our gladness, and humble ourselves, that one 
so holy and excellent should be destined to endure these 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


85 


things for our sakes ; and when we "behold Him, let us 
sink at His feet in grateful adoration of His love and 
charity, of His mercy and goodness, of His noble self- 
denial and voluntary upgiving of Himself as a sacrifice 
for us ; for there could he no higher or more valuable 
victim than Him in the Universe of G-od, therefore He 
hath offered Himself \ according to the words of the 
prophet recording His offer, 4 Lo, I come to do thy will, 
0 G-od!’ 

44 When the young man had spoken, he walked away. 
Impelled by an unconquerable impulse, I followed, and 
took him in my arms, and embracing him, said : 4 Of a 
truth thou art a prophet ! Thy words come home to my 
heart like the echo of ancient prophecy.’ 

4 4 4 Nay. I have learned these things from the study 
of the Scripture,’ he said; with angelic candor and 
modesty. 4 But I have been aided, how much I have 
no words to tell thee, by one who hath wisdom and truth 
abiding in him above all men, and whom it is my hap- 
piness to have my bosom friend, as he is near my 
own age. If I am wise, or virtuous, or good, or know 
the Scriptures, it is that he hath been my counsellor and 
teacher.’ 

44 4 What is his name ?’ I asked, 4 for I also would go 
and learn of him.’ 

4 4 4 He withdraws from the public eye, and hath little 
converse but with few, and shuns all notice. Without 
his permission I could not take thee to him. Yet I will 
ask him, if you desire it.’ 

44 4 Wliat is his appearance, and where doth he dwell?’ 
I inquired, more deeply interested. 

44 4 He abides at present at Bethany, my own city. 


86 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 




He is so beloved by us, that we detain him as our guest. 
But he dwelleth at other times with his mother, a holy 
widow of great sanctity and matronly dignity, living at 
Nazareth in humble condition, and he contributes by 
labor to her support, with the most exemplary filial 
piety ; thus setting an example to the young men of 
Judah, who in this age make a mock at parental re- 
straint, and under the evil practices which the free 
license of the wicked custom of Corban giveth, neglect 
them, and no more do aught for their father or mother. 
Indeed, no person ever approaches and speaks with him, 
without leaving him a wiser and better man.’ 

“ ‘ Verily,’ said both Joseph and I together, ‘ you have 
only increased our desire to behold him. His appear- 
ance must be noble.’ 

“‘He possesseth neither* beauty of form nor comeli- 
ness to strike the eye ; but there sits upon his brow a 
serene dignity, tempered with mildness, that commands 
the respect of age, and wins the confiding love of child- 
hood. His eyes beam with a light, calm and pure, as if 
shining from interior holy thoughts, and they rest upon 
you, when he speaks, with a tenderness that is like the 
dewy light of the young mother’s gaze, when she bends 
in silent happiness and tears over the face of her first- 
born. He never smiles, or rather his face is one soft 
sunshine of smiling rays, tempered in an indescribable 
manner with a settled look of sadness, an almost imper- 
ceptible shade of permanent sorrow, that seems to fore- 
shadow a life of trial and suffering. When he reads from 
the Prophets, and unfolds to us with a wisdom that we 
can regard only as given him from heaven, the great 
truths that relate to the long-looked-for, and, as we now 


OR, -THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


87 


believe, the near-present Messiah, he seems to speak by 
inspiration, yet without emotion, but calmly and natu- 
rally, in a low-toned voice, that is never lifted up at any 
time, nor ever heard in the streets.’ 

‘ 1 1 He must be another prophet,’ said Joseph, with 
deep earnestness. 

“ 4 He does not prophesy, nor preach,’ answered the 
young man. 

“ ‘ What is his name ?’ I asked. 

“ ‘ Jesus, the Nazarene !’ 

“We both promised to remember this name; and as 
our way to Jerusalem lay through Bethany, we wished, 
much to call and see him ; but this step the young man 
mildly objected to, until, he having made known our 
wishes to him, he then might, if he desired to see us, 
send into Jerusalem for us to go to Bethany. 

“ As the young man was then about to move away, I 
asked, him his name, as he had gre&tly drawn out my 
heart towards him, and I felt that if I could be his friend, 
and. the friend of the wise young man of Nazareth, who 
sojourned with him, I should be perfectly happy, and 
have no other desire — save, indeed, to live till the Mes- 
siah came, that I might behold Him, and lay my head 
upon His sacred bosom. 

“ ‘My name is Lazarus, the Scribe,’ he answered, as 
he took his leave.” 

“What,” interrupted Mary, when her cousin had 
spoken this name, “ then I know him well. It is the 
brother of Mary and Martha, both my friends at 
Bethany, where I passed a week last year, just before 
the Passover.” 

“ I am glad to hear that,” said John, “ for this will 


88 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


be a closer bond of friendship between ns. The next 
day we renewed our acquaintance, and after three days 
departed together homeward. Upon arriving at Bethany 
Lazarus learned that his friend had gone to Cana, in 
Galilee, on a visit with his mother, to the house of one 
of her kinsfolk, whose daughter is in a few weeks to be 
married.” 

Having now, my dear father, communicated to you 
all that John related to us, you will see what grounds 
there are to look upon the prophet of Jordan as a man 
sent from God, or to believe that he is the true Elias, 
whom Malachi hath foretold, and who, as the most 
learned of the Scribes say, must first come to proclaim 
the approach of the Prince of Peace, the Shiloh of Israel’s 
hopes. My emotions, my ideas, my opinions, at present, 
are conflicting and full of indecision. On one hand, 1 
am ready to become one of John of Jordan’s disciples, 
and be baptized of him, looking with faith unto Him 
who is to come after. On the other hand, I tremble lest 
all should be a delusion, for it does not seem possible 
that it is my lot to live in that blessed age when Mes- 
siah cometh, a period towards which all the patriarchs 
and prophets have looked, desiring to see His day, but 
died without possessing the promise, beholding it only 
afar off. The infinite greatness of this privilege is all 
that causes me to doubt. Instruct me, dear father ; 
open to me the treasures of your wisdom ! Thou art 
read in the Prophets. Doth the youthful prophet of the 
wilderness truly use their predictions in their applica- 
tion to Messias ? Is it that the intellectual Lazarus 
truly drew the sad portraiture of His dark career on 
earth ? How are the opposing prophecies to be recon- 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


89 


ciled in another manner than the young man of Bethany 
has unfolded them ? Explain to me one other interpre- 
tation, dear father, how He can he both king and a 
prisoner ! Lord of life, yet suffer death ! With a king- 
dom boundless as the world, yet despised and contemned 
of men ! 

The account brought by John has set Rabbi Amos to 
studying the Prophets, and indeed all men are looking 
into them with interest unknown before ; for the multi- 
tudes that go away from the new prophet noise his pre- 
dictions abroad, throughout all the land. May Grod be 
indeed about to bless His people, and remember His in- 
heritance ! 

Adina. 


LETTER VI. 

My Dear Father : 

Health and peace to thee, and all my friends honored 
and beloved in Alexandria ! I have again seen the ex- 
cellent Ben Israel, with whom, four months ago, I came 
from Egypt, to sojourn in Jerusalem. He not only 
delivered to me your letters, with the acceptable gifts 
you kindly sent by him, but also assured me of your 
welfare in all things. He is at present absent at Da- 
mascus, whither he went soon after his arrival here, in 
order to buy the celebrated Syrian blades of that city, 
which he takes down to Egypt at great profit, with 
other merchandise. He assures me that he is gaining 
much wealth by his caravans of commerce, at which I 
rejoice, for he is an amiable and worthy man. His 


90 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


entreaties that I would return to Alexandria with him, 
would nearly have overcome my resolutions of remain- 
ing here, hut for the commands you have laid upon me 
to avail myself of the peculiar privileges which Jerusa- 
lem affords for improving the mind ; and were it not, I 
am deeply interested in the issue of the great expecta- 
tion of Israel. Your letter, dear father, commands me 
to banish this “novelty” from my mind, and continue 
humbly to worship Jehovah after the manner of our 
fathers. I trust this I shall ever do, my dear father ; 
and did I discover in this prophet any disposition to bring 
in a new faith, opposed to the ancient faith of Abraham, 
I should tremble to entertain it for a moment. You say 
that this man must be “a false and base prophet,” or he 
would not herald a master so low and despised as he 
professes will be the Christ he bears witness to. “ There 
have been many false Christs and false prophets, my 
child,” you add, “and Israel has run after them, as they 
now run after this John of Jordan, and the result has 
been, that they have either perished in the wilderness or 
been cut to pieces, with their deceiver, by the jealousy 
of the Roman Governors, who looked upon such assem- 
blies as seditious. Hold fast, my child , to the religion 
of our fathers, and be not carried . away, as I fear you 
are in danger of being, by this wild preacher of repent- 
ance. The kingdom of Messias is not a kingdom of 
repentance and of humiliation, but one of victory, of 
glory, and dominion. Touching those prophecies of 
humility and abasement, which this prophet of Jordan 
applies to Messias, they have no application to our ex- 
pected Shiloh and Prince. They either apply to some 
lesser prophet, who will be the forerunner of the true 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


91 


Christ (for that he will have a forerunner the Scriptures 
speak too plainly for doubting), or, as some say and 
believe, especially do the Pharisees, there are to he two 
Messias — one who shall come in humiliation and suffer- 
ing to the Gentiles , as an atonement for the expiation 
of their sins, and one to come to us in regal power, and 
in circumstances of glory and splendor, such as no poten- 
tate hath ever manifested, and who shall make Jerusa- 
lem the metropolis of the globe, and the kings of the 
earth tributary at his feet. Such is our Messias, whom 
the Lord of Hosts send us speedily, to lift Judah from 
the dust of her humiliation ! If the humble person this 
prophet of the desert heralds be a Messias, he is one to 
the G-entiles only, whose great iniquities need the self- 
immolation and humiliation of one come from God, in 
atonement therefor ; but he is not a Messiah to Israel, 
nor the mighty Prince who shall sit in David’s seat on 
the throne of Zion. Therefore, my child, you as a 
daughter of Israel have no interest in this novelty that 
cometh out of the wilderness, and after which half the 
land hath foolishly run mad. Wait, be patient ! the day 
of Israel’s glory shall truly arise and shine, and all 
nations shall see it and rejoice. Think no more of what 
thy cousin hath told thee. When Messias cometh He 
will be heralded by a more glorious and eminent person 
than a young man of thirty, clothed in skins, and for 
food eating locusts and wild honey, whose origin and 
authority no man knoweth. Believing that your good 
sense and sound judgment, my Adina, will at once lead 
you to adopt my views, I shall not urge them further, 
as if I seriously feared your defection from the house of 
your fathers, an event which would bring my gray hairs 


92 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


down with sorrow to the grave. It is my belief that this 
prophet preaches only himself, and, under the mysterious 
and deceitful notions of another to come after him, is but 
gathering an expectant multitude around him to wield 
them as instruments for his own ambitious ends ; and, 
by the time you write me again, I expect to learn from 
you that he openly proclaims himself the Christ, after 
all ; or that he, with all who are led by him, will be 
destroyed by the swords of the Roman legions.” 

How can I write to you, my dear father, that which 
is now rushing to my pen, after such an expression of 
your sentiments as you have made in this extract from 
your letter ? But I know you are wise, and will not 
evade truth, in whatever form it may offer itself to you, 
and I therefore, with confidence in your justice and wis- 
dom, will faithfully make known to you the events rela- 
ting to the prophet which have transpired, and may take 
place in Judea during my abode here. Hear me always 
with candor, and judge without partiality ; for this is, 
without doubt, a day of wonderful revelations. I fancy 
that I can now see your brow darken, and that you say, 
“ enough of this. Are we to have more of this new pro- 
phet?” Yes, my dear father, more still, and more ex- 
traordinary circumstances I am about to relate than I 
have yet written, for some of the very priests of the 
Temple have become believers in the youthful Seer. 

You will remember how that John, Mary’s cousin, 
stated that many priests and others were offended at the 
plain preaching of the prophet whom they went out into 
the wilderness to see. When they returned to Jerusa- 
lem, and made known to the other members of the 
House of the Priests what had been spoken against 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


93 


them, by the application to them of the words of Esaias 
and Jeremias, and other Prophets, there arose at once a 
great outcry against him. Many of the Levites even 
forgot their duties in the Temple, in holding discourse 
with the Scribes and Pharisees, and others, in the streets, 
in the arches of the gates, and in the market-places, 
touching this new prophet, and his bold denunciations 
of them ; being so much the more grieved at them be- 
cause they were, alas ! but too well merited by the 
looseness of their lives. At length Annas, who is High 
Priest with Caiaphas, sent two of the most learned men 
of the Temple, Levites of weight of character, to invite 
the prophet to Jerusalem ; for Annas is a wise man, and 
not easily carried away by popular feeling ; and, as 
Pi^>bi Amos hath told me, he is disposed to look upon 
the preaching of John, for such is his name, with a 
serious and reverential eye. The messengers returned 
after the fifth day, and made their report openly in the 
Court of the Temple, where the High Priests sat to re- 
ceive them, expecting to behold the prophet in their 
company. At length, the assembly being convened, the 
two learned and venerable Levites both rose up, and 
declared that they had delivered the message to John, 
the son of Zacharias, the prophet of Jordan, and that his 
answer was given with the reverence due to the station 
of the High Priest who had sent to him : 

“ G-o and say to the noble High Priest,” said he, 
“ that I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, as 
it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the Pro- 
phet, who, foreseeing my day, saith, ‘ The voice of one 
crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, 
make his paths straight.’ All flesh will soon behold the 


94 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


salvation of G-od. My errand is neither to city nor 
temple, nOr into any house of Israel will I enter. He 
who would hear my testimony to Him who is to come 
after m<5, let him seek me in the wilderness, whence only 
I am commanded to lift up my voice till Shiloh come.” 

When the priests heard this answer they were greatly 
enraged, and many fiercely cried .one thing and many 
another ; some that he should he sought out and stoned 
to death for defying the High Priest (which he did not 
do, dear father, as it was for him to obey God rather 
than man) ; others, that he should be accused to the 
Procurator, Pontius Pilate, Governor of Judea, as a 
seditious and dangerous person, and fomenter of insur- 
rections. Caiaphas was of the latter opinion, and wrote, 
from his tribunal, an epistle to the Roman ruler, makiag 
accusation hereof against the prophet of the desert, and 
recommending him to secure his person, lest further 
mischief should come of it ; adding, that Tiberius Coesar, 
hearing of the matter, would conceive it to be a move- 
ment of the whole Jewish nation, desirous of casting off 
the Roman rule, under a new chief, and thus bring down 
an army upon the land, utterly to destroy it. But the 
milder Annas viewed the whole matter in a different 
light, and said : 

“ Men and brethren — let nothing be done hastily. If 
this man be a false prophet, he will soon perish, and we 
shall hear no more of him. If, peradventure, as it 
would appear, he is sent from God, let us not make 
haste to do him a mischief, lest, haply, we be found 
contending against the Lord of Hosts.” 

This moderation found favor with but few, but of 
these few, Rabbi * Amos was one. But if the priests 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 95 

who thronged the outer court, in presence of the High 
Priest, were deeply moved at the report of the prophet’s 
answer, their excitement became well nigh uncontroll- 
able when both Melchi and Heli, their messengers, rose 
up, waving their hands for silence, and declared, that, 
after having listened to the prophet to whom they had 
been sent, they were convinced of the truth of his words, 
and of his divine commission, and had been baptized 
of him in Jordan, confessing their sins! 

Only the sanctity of the Temple prevented the five 
hundred priests rushing upon them, and smiting them 
when they heard this. They were at once placed under 
arrest by order of the High Priest, Caiaphas, for acting 
in a manner unbecoming a priest of the Most High Grod : 
“ For,” said he, “ this is to degrade the Temple to the 
feet of a wandering impostor, and is an open acknow- 
ledgment that virtue hath left the worship of Zion, and 
must be sought for in the deserts of Jordan. ’Which,” 
he called aloud, “ which, men of Israel, is the greatest, 
the altar of the Lord, or the waters of Jordan ? — the 
Priest of the Most High, or he of the wilderness ? Away 
with these recreant blasphemers, to be tried and ad- 
judged according to our sacred laws.” The people who 
.had heard John preach, hereupon were only prevented 
from rescuing the two priests by the presence of a guard 
of Roman soldiers, for which Caiaphas promptly sent. 

From this account, my dear father, you can form 
some idea of the excitement which the preaching of this 
new prophet is producing among all classes. The poorer 
sort of people are his advocates, and the rich and the 
rulers, the priests and great men of the nation, oppose 
him, save a few among the best and wisest. Of these 


96 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID. 


few is Rabbi Amos, who is engaged all the time he is 
not on duty in the Temple, in searching the Scriptures, 
to see if these things are so ; and at every prophecy he 
reads he is more and more convinced that the day of 
Messias is at hand, and that this prophet is, without 
doubt, he who was to be sent from God in the “ spirit 
and power of Elias,” to prepare the way before Him. 
Every evening there are assembled at our house from 
twelve to eighteen of the chief men of the Jews, who 
often pass half the night in warm discussions upon these 
great things ; those among them who have heard John, 
being disposed to give him the high rank he claims, as 
forerunner of Shiloh. Among these is Stephen, a man 
whose father was High Priest, and who is himself a 
lawyer and student of no mean repute. He has not yet 
heard John the prophet, but he openly said last night 
that, after the most careful examination of all the 
Prophets, he was firmly of the opinion that the day of 
the fulfillment of their prophecies was close at hand ; 
and that, for his part, he was willing to hail the prophet 
of Jordan as the true herald of Messias. Hereupon, 
two-thirds of the company said the same thing, but the 
others doubted, and cautioned the rest not to be too rash ; 
that it was time enough to believe in Messias when He 
Himself should come in His own person. 

Such, my dear father, is the present condition of the 
mind of the people of Jerusalem. If the Prince of Glory 
should, indeed, suddenly appear, there could ^e scarcely 
more excitement, though it would be of a different 
nature. There is something sublime to see a young 
man, who dwelleth alone in the wilderness, poor and 
unknown, thus moving the great heart of the nation : 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


97 


surely his power must be divinely derived. You ask 
me, and so is the question constantly put by the Scribes, 
and Pharisees, and priests, to the disciples of John : 
“ Does he perform miracles ? Show me a miracle and I 
will believe in him ; for this is the only test of a true 
prophet’s Divine commission.” No, dear father, he has 
performed no miracle, unless it be one continuous mira- 
cle, whereby he keeps in the wilderness a multitude, 
daily enlarged, from the outpouring gates of almost 
every city in Judah, listening to his words, and bowing 
their heads to the sacred waters of his penitential 
baptism. 

As next week Rabbi Amos does not serve in his course 
in the Temple, and as he will have some affairs that take 
him to G-ilgal, where he has three fields now ripe for the 
sickle, he has yielded to the desire of his daughter Mary 
and myself to accompany him ; for he does not conceal 
from us that he shall make it a point to visit and hear 
the prophet, as it will be but two hours travel from 
Grilgal to the place where he preaches. You will, I fear 
me, object to this journey. But if the worship of our 
fathers has nothing to fear from falsehood, it surely has 
nought to fear from truth ; and in either case, I, as a 
true daughter of Israel, have nothing to fear. If the 
prophet teach what is false, I shall remain true ; and if 
he teach what is true, shall I not be the gainer ? I hear 
you say this is but feeble and womanly argumentation. 
But as you have given me the credit of, more than once, 
declaring it to be your belief that I am old and wise 
enough to judge for myself in most matters, I beg you 
will suffer me to hear the prophet with my own ears, in 
order that I may decide whether I ought to give heed to 
5 


98 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DATED : 


his predictions, or reject them as the visions of a dreamer. 
One thing is clear — if the Christ that John prophesies 
he the true Son of the Highest, and is in reality to make 
his appearance ere long, in humiliation and poverty, his 
rejection by the High Priests, and by the rich and pow- 
erful of Judah, is certain. May G-od, then, remove 
blindness from our eyes, that, if this be the very Messias 
indeed, Israel may recognize their king when He cometh, 
and not do so fearful a thing in their pride as to reject 
Him openly! In this case, who will stand between 
God and our ill-fated race ? Therefore, my dear father, 
it behooves every man in Israel to examine this matter 
with a sober and humble mind, and move with caution 
in opposition to what may prove the dearest hopes of our 
people. When I shall have returned from the desert, 
whither we are to travel with litters and mules, I will 
write you all that I have heard. 

You will remember the young Roman Centurion, to 
whose courtesy I was indebted in rescuing me from the 
rudeness of the two Gentile soldiers. He has preserved, 
since then, acquaintance with Rabbi Amos, who speaks 
of him with respect ; and as he has of late expressed 
some interest in knowing what the studies are which 
occupy the Rabbi so constantly when he calls to see him, 
which he has done frequently, a copy of the Prophets 
was placed in his hands ; but as he professed he was not 
learned enough to read Hebrew, the good Rabbi, who 
believed he saw in him a hopeful convert to the faith of 
Judah, called in Mary to read and interpret to him. But 
her knowledge of the Roman tongue did not prove suffi- 
cient ; and at her request, the Rabbi sent for me, to come 
into the marble hall of the corridor, where they sat by 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


99 


the fountain, under the shade of the acacia, which Amos 
says you took with your own hands from Isaiah’s grave, 
and planted here, many years ago, and which I therefore 
call “ my father’s tree.” 

“Come hither, Adina,” said my uncle, in his benevo- 
lent tones ; “ here you behold a noble Roman youth whom 
you must be too generous to have forgotten.” I bowed, 
and scarcely lifted my eyelids from the tesseTated floor ; 
for there was a fire in the glance of the handsome youth 
that they could not encounter. He said some words ol 
salutation ; but I only heard the voice, which fell upon 
my heart with a strange vibration, like the effects ot 
music. Surely these barbarians of Italia have the rich- 
est language of all men ; compared with it, our Hebrew 
is harsh and strangely guttural. “ The Roman Centu- 
rion,” continued Amos, “ hath desired to know some- 
thing of the sacred books of our nation, of which he 
saith he hath heard much ; and of the prophecies, 
from which he believes the famed Sibylline books were 
composed.” 

“ I have studied the sacred books of Etruria, of Gaul, 
and those of the Goths and the Druids, of Egypt, and of 
Persia, as well as of my own people,” said the Centurion, 
modestly, “ but in all these I find rites and ceremonies, 
doctrines, and laws, that are unworthy to emanate from 
the supreme Jove of so vast a universe. We, Romans, 
in the multiplicity of our gods, in deifying everything, in 
reality deify nothing ! Everything we call god, but we 
realize God nowhere.” 

“ Then thou hast well directed thy inquiries touching 
this book,” answered Amos, with warmth, and looking on 
the Roman with respectful compassion. “ Here is to be 


100 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


found the true and only revelation of Jehovah to men. 
Here is developed a divine character, worthy of the Crea- 
tor of the universe. Here are laid down laws and cere- 
monies, rites and doctrines, commands and precepts, that 
are worthy to emanate from the Father and God of all 
men. Thou shalt hear and judge for thyself. I am hut 
imperfeptly skilled in the Roman tongue, save for daily 
intercourse ;*but here is an Egyptian maiden, who can 
interpret for thee in the idiom of Grecia, or of Italia, and 
I will place the sacred scroll in her hands while I listen. 
Come, Adina, open and read the beginning of the Book 
of Moses.” 

I obeyed, as I would have obeyed you, dear father ; 
and, seated at the feet of Amos, I read and translated 
aloud into Greek, which the Roman youth had said was 
even more familiar to him than his native tongue, (as it 
is to all educated persons in the world,) the first five 
hundred lines. These, as you know, give an account of 
the creation of the world, and of man, of his defection, 
and his expulsion from Paradise ; of the promise of Mes- 
sias to restore what he had lost ; of the curse denounced 
upon the creation, and the slaying of the patriarch Abel, 
with the peopling of the earth, its wickedness, and de- 
struction by the flood. 

To all this narrative the youthful warrior listened with 
the profiandest respect and attention ; and when he had 
thanked me, and asked permission to come and be further 
taught from the pages which he said seemed, indeed, to 
be written with the finger of the Supreme Lord of the 
universe, he asked if the Messias had yet come who 
was to restore all things ; and if not, when was he to be 
looked for ? This inquiry led to a conversation upon 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


101 


the preaching of John in the wilderness, and his predic- 
tions of the near advent of Shiloh. Rabbi Amos, seeing 
that he was becoming deeply interested in the subject, 
made me turn to the particular prophecies of Daniel, 
Esaias, David, and others, and read them to him ; both 
those which described, in golden words, the glory and 
dominion of his power, and those which represented 
him as despised and rejected. After I had read all 
which the Rabbi directed me to read, the young man 
remained some time very thoughtful. At length he 
said, with animation : I can now comprehend why 

men run into the wilderness. I should like to hear this 
prophet.” 

When Amos told him that he contemplated journeying 
to Gilgal the next week, and intended to visit the desert 
to hear him, hq at once asked permission to be of his com- 
pany ; but when I remarked that Mary and I were also 
to go, his dark eyes beamed with pleasure, and he imme- 
diately said : 

“ I will accompany you with a squadron of horse, as 
the roads are not safe ; for no longer than yesterday we 
received a rumor that the celebrated robber chief, 
Barabbas, at the head of a large band, has made his 
appearance again on the hills between Ephraim and 
Jericho, and robbed not only two caravans, but many of 
those who were travelling to hear this prophet'A I will 
make an expedition against him, after seeing you safely 
in Jericho.” 

When we heard of this robber we were not a little 
disposed to decline our journey ; but Rabbi Amos thanked 
him, and said he would gladly accept his escort, “ inas- 
much,” he added, smiling, “ as I know you Roman 


102 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID 


knights here in garrison have but little to employ your 
time, and would esteem it a privilege to have an excursion 
of this kind. Moreover, you say you must go against this 
bandit ; so we do not so much draw on your courtesy as 
take shelter under your duty.” 

It is therefore decided, dear father, that we leave early 
next week for Jericho and Grilgal, and go also into the 
wilderness to see and hear the prophet. On my return, 
I shall not fail to write you without delay. Till then 
withhold your judgment, and have confidence in mine. 
With holy aspirations for the coming of the kingdom of 
David, and the restoration of his throne in Zion, I remain 
with filial love, your daughter, 

Adina. 


LETTER VII. 

My Dear Father : 

My trembling fingers scarcely hold the light reed with 
which I am about to write you concerning the extra- 
ordinary things I have seen and heard ; but they tremble 
only with joy. Oh, my father, my dear, dear father, 
Messias has come ! I have seen Him ! I have heard 
His voice ! He has truly come ! Oh, joy, joy ! My 
eyes have beheld Him of whom Moses and the Prophets 
did write ! But let me not anticipate. In order that 
you may believe as I believe, though you have seen Him 
not, I will give to you an account of those events which 
have happened since my last letter was sent to you. I 
will try to write free from emotion, and keep my bound- 
ing heart still, and my hand calm, while I set in order 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


103 


all that has taken place, that your understanding may 
judge of them with that candor and wisdom which 
makes men see in you the wisest Israelite in the land of 
Egypt, 

You will recollect that in my last epistle, which went 
by the Cairo caravan, I mentioned that Rabbi Amos, 
taking advantage of the recess in his duties at the 
Temple, the course of the venerable Elihud being now 
waiting upon the altar, m'aau up his mind to pay his 
annual visit to the wheat fields which he has in charge, 
near Jericho, and which, as you know, are not his own 
lands, but are in trust to him for the heirs of the brave 
soldier, Manasseh, of the tribe of Benjamin, who was 
slain in trying to rescue Jericho from the Romans. 
Rabbi Amos, also, felt no little curiosity to hear John of 
Jordan, as he is called, whose fame has spread far and 
wide. At the request of Mary and myself, he consented 
that we should accompany him. John, the young man 
who is betrothed to my cousin, having gone to the sea 
of Galilee to see about certain ships which were there in 
charge of his brother James and his father, was to meet 
us at Gilgal, and accompany us to Jordan ; for he thinks 
and speaks of nothing now but the prophet of the wilder- 
ness, from whom he feels that he suffers great loss to be 
absent even for a day. 

The road from Jerusalem to Jericho had become re- 
cently unsafe, on account of the boldness of an insurrec- 
tionary chief called Barabbas, who a year ago made 
insurrection against the Romans, but was defeated, and 
his band dispersed into the mountains south of the sea 
of Sodom ; but at last, driven to famine, he has taken to 
robbing caravans ; and since the number of travellers 


104 


THE PEINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


has increased so much between Jerusalem and Jordan, 
to hear John preach, and he baptized of him, he has 
fallen upon large parties of them, and taken from them 
all their goods and money. On this account Rabbi 
Amos accepted the courteous offer of the escort of the 
young Centurion, who had been ordered by the Procu- 
rator, Pontius Pilate, to keep the road open between 
Jerusalem and Jericho ; for even the Roman couriers 
have been stopped by this fearless robber, and some of 
them slain by him. The pride of Rabbi Amos shrunk 
from this dependence upon- a Roman arm, in making a 
peaceful journey through his own land ; but there is, 
alas ! dear father, no one now among the seed of Abra- 
ham to assert our natural rights. We can only bow our 
heads to the yoke the Lord Grod has placed upon our 
necks. 

It was faint dawn when we rose from our couches to 
prepare for the journey. The mules upon which we 
were to ride were brought into the court by the two 
swarthy Gribeonite serfs, whom Rabbi Amos holds in his 
service, and caparisoned with rich saddles covered with 
Persian saddle-cloths, embroidered with gold. The two 
pack mules were also made ready, on one of which was 
the travelling equipage of my cousin Mary and myself, 
which Rabbi Amos smilingly said took up more space 
than the goods and travelling wares of a Damascus mer- 
chant. At sunrise, after we had kneeled upon the house- 
top, in view of the Temple, and sent up our prayers with 
its sacrifices and clouds of ascending incense, we de- 
scended to the court-yard to mount for the road. There 
was a stout mule for good Rabbi Amos, though the Cen- 
turion sent him a handsome Persian horse to ride ; but 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


105 


my uncle said that he had never trusted himself on so 
uncertain an animal as a horse in his youth, and he 
thought he should scarcely adventure such a feat in his 
old age ; so he preferred his mule. 

Having got ourselves seated upon our cushioned 
saddles, and our veils ready to draw over our faces, we 
expected each moment the arrival of the Centurion and 
his cohort of horse ; hut a Numidian slave came running, 
and howing to the ground before Rabbi Amos, said that 
the Centurion would meet us at the corner of the two 
ways, beyond the walls, near Bethany. "Whereupon we 
all mounted, and took our way towards the East Gate, 
which Pilate has recently repaired, and named the Porta 
Csesar. We were five persons in all — Rabbi Amos, my 
cousin Mary and myself, and the. two Gibeonites — both 
of whom were young men, whose fathers for many cen- 
turies had been servants in the family of Amos, even 
from the time of Joshua, when this people deceived him 
by their craftiness, and were doomed to perpetual servi- 
tude. I am much struck with the appearance of this 
singular race of men. They have very dark faces, eagle- 
beaked noses, flashing black eyes, and slender, lithe 
forms. They look cunning and treacherous, hut seem to 
he cowardly, and easily controlled by firmness. They 
are incapable of any attachments, and gratitude seems 
to be thrown away upon them. I heard a singular tra- 
dition about them from one of the Levites who often 
visits Rabbi Amos, which is, that they are descended 
from the servants of Noah, which were saved with him 
in the ark, hut who, as being of an inferior rank, were 
not included in the record of Noah’s family. But doubt- 
less you have heard the same idle tradition. 

5 * 


106 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


The morning was bright and cheerful, with the golden 
sun pouring its light over temple and tower, castle and 
roof, wall and rampart, hill and grove, valley and brook, 
one and all of which were lighted up with the glory of 
his morning beams. As we turned the street leading to 
the Sheep Grate, we passed the house of Caiaphas, the 
High Priest, whom I saw standing upon the marble 
porch of his superb palace. He was not arrayed in his 
sumptuous robes, with the breast-plate of dazzling stones, 
and kingly cap, as I had seen him in the Temple, but 
was dressed in a flowing black robe, over which was 
thrown a scarf of white linen ; and upon his snow-white 
locks he wore a scarlet hood, a dress common to all the 
priests, so that if I had not recognized him by his tall 
and commanding form, and flowing white hair, and 
piercing eye, as he surveyed us, I should not have known 
that it was the High Priest. He spoke to Rabbi Amos, 
who did him reverence, and lowly did I bend my own 
head before the majesty of the representative of Grod on 
earth. 

A little further on we met a party coming from the 
country beyond Kedron, with large cages upon their 
mules, laden with turtle doves and young pigeons, which 
they were carrying to the Temple, to be sold there for 
sacrifices. My heart pitied the innocent things, whose 
blue, pretty heads were thrust by the dozen through the 
rough bars of their prison-houses, as they cast their soft 
eyes up at me, as if asking me to deliver them from 
their bondage. And when I reflected that they were to 
offer up their innocent lives for the sins of the men and 
women of Israel, my cheek burned with the blush of 
shame, that we were so guilty before the Lord Grod, that 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


107 


the innocent must die for us. As Mary was riding be- 
hind me, in order to let the laden mules pass with their 
immense cages, one of the turtle-doves, affrighted by the 
noise of the streets, extricated itself from between the 
bars, and, spreading its wings, flew into the air, and then 
taking its flight for the country, soared far above the city 
walls, and the lofty summit of the octagonal tower of 
Psephinos, and disappeared in the distance. I felt re- 
joiced at the innocent bird’s escape, and sent my good 
wishes for its safe return to its lodge in the wilderness. 
Just before we reached the Sheep Grate, by which we 
were to gain the Jericho road, we met a poor blind man 
leading a lamb, or rather being led by a tame lamb. He 
also had two pigeons in his bosom. He ^vas asked by 
Rabbi Amos, who knew him, whither he was going. He 
answered, that he was going to the Temple to sacrifice 
them. “ Nay,” said Amos, with surprise, “ thou wilt 
not sacrifice thy lamb, Bartimeus !” 

“ I have promised them to Gfod, Rabbi Amos, and I 
may not break my promise without sin.” 

“But thy lamb leadeth thee everywhere. It is eyes 
to thee. Thou canst not do without it.” 

“ G-od will provide me another lamb,” he answered, 
his face beaming with hope. 

“But thy doves? Thou earnest by them many a 
mite in a day, they are so well taught in cunning and 
pleasant tricks to please children. If thou must sacri- 
fice according to thy vow, spare these so needful to thee, 
and here is money to buy doves and another lamb,” 
answered my benevolent uncle. 

“ Hear what I have to say,” answered Bartimeus. 
“ My father became sick, and was likely to die, and I 


108 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAY1D : 


vowed a vow to God that if he would heal the old man, 
my father, I would sacrifice unto him one of my doves. 
The next day my mother, who has nourished my child- 
hood, and loved me, though I was horn blind, with all 
her heart, was also taken sick. I then vowed my other 
pigeon. The same night my little daughter, my little 
blind daughter, whose face I never saw, and who never 
saw her father’s face, was sick nigh unto death. Then 
it was that I vowed all that remained to me, even the 
lamb of my bosom, whom I love next to my child ! My 
father, my mother, my child are restored, and in my joy 
I am on my way to the Temple to offer these gifts of 
G-od to Him. It will be hard, sir, but shall I not per- 
form my vow ? It will be hard to part with them, I 
shall miss them so much ; but God will not let blind 
Bartimeus suffer, since He will see that he offereth, in 
offering his two little doves and his lamb, all that he 
hath.” 

"With these words he moved on, the lamb obeying the 
string which he held, softly moving on before ; while I 
could see the sightless eyes of the righteous son and 
pious father trickle tears, as he kissed, and kissed again 
the precious doves that lay in his bosom. This little 
occurrence made me sad; yet I honored the resolute 
piety of this poor man, whose eyes, though they saw not 
men, seemed to see God and feel his presence. There 
is still humble piety in the land, my dear father, and 
finding it not among the proud and splendid priests, we 
must look for it in the hearts of the poor and humble, 
like Bartimeus. 

Upon reaching the gate we were not detained by the 
Roman captain, who kept others, examining their pass- 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 


109 


ports, and taking gate-money from those who were with- 
out them ; for though foot passengers may pass in and 
out free, yet from those who ride horses or mules is 
exacted money, unless they have passes signed by the 
Procurator. But the captain of the gate no sooner saw 
us than he, with great civility, made us pass through 
the gate in advance of others who were ready to go 
through, saying that the young Centurion, whose name, 
I think, I have not told you is iEmilius, had given him 
orders not to detain us. The stern, iron-cased Roman 
soldiers that stood about the gate, struck me as having 
just the aspect and forms of men who could conquer the 
world. When I reflected that there was not a city on 
the earth, at whose gates did not stand just such men 
as these, armed, and clad, and bearded like* them, I 
could not but respect the universal power of the Roman 
empire, while I feared it. 

Once outside of the gates, the air blew fresh from the 
hills of olives, laden with fragrance. After being so 
long confined within the walls and narrow streets, it 
seemed to me that I had just broken out of my cage, 
like the pretty blue-headed turtle dove, and I felt like 
winging my way too to the free deserts, if wings of a 
dove so ardently longed for by King David, could only 
have been given me. On our right, not far from the 
gate, Rabbi Amos pointed out to me the pool of Be- 
thesda, and turning my eyes towards it, I beheld a most 
touching spectacle. All the five porches were filled 
with sick and impotent folk, the lame, halt, blind, and 
withered, waiting, as my uncle told us, for the moving 
of the waters ; for, at certain seasons, he said that Grod 
sends an angel down into the pool to trouble the water, 


110 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


when, whosoever steps in first, is made whole of what- 
soever disease he may have. I could not hut stop my 
mule to regard so remarkable a sight as this congrega- 
tion of miserable people, of whom there must have been 
no less than four hundred ; some leaning, pale and hag- 
gard, against the columns ; some creeping about in 
helplessness, like brutes trying to get nigher the pool, 
from which the stronger thrust them back ; some re- 
clining patiently upon their beds, in humble waiting for 
G-od’s time ; and others being borne thither on the 
shoulders of men. Suddenly, as I was about to ride on, 
and shut out this painful sight, one of the most extra- 
ordinary scenes that human eyes could witness took place* 
The surface of the pool, which was hitherto perfectly 
placid, all at once became agitated, as if it were boiling, 
and began to swell, rush, or rather swing from side to 
side, in a remarkable manner. No sooner was this seen, 
than there arose from the throng of wretched invalids 
who crowded its steps, a cry of four hundred voices all 
at once, shrieks of joy, shouts of wonder, words of 
amazed exclamation, while a simultaneous movement 
took place of the whole mass of human bodies, which 
became as wildly tossed to and fro as were the waters. 
Those nearest plunged madly in, while those behind 
rushed down, some wildly shrieking in their agonizing 
haste, and some uttering the rpost fearful curses, as they 
found their way obstructed by the impenetrable masses 
before them. The most weak and impotent being most 
eager, and being farthest off, made superhuman exer- 
tions to gain the pool, howling, and climbing with hands 
and feet, over the backs of others, to be hurled to the 
ground and trampled upon by those who were behind 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


Ill 


them. Some strong men, who tried to open the way for 
one whom they were carrying, drew their knives, and 
proceeded to out their way through the haggard and 
mouthing wretches who crowded the way, which violence 
being seen by the Romans from the gate, they went 
down, some score of them, with drawn swords, to quell 
the tumult ; for the whole pool was in an uproar. 
Unable to endure the dreadful scene, we rode rapidly 
on ; but I afterwards heard that before quiet was restored, 
several men were slain, and that five of those who had 
got into the pool were drowned beneath the feet of those 
people who recklessly leaped in over the heads of others 
upon them. 

“ Is it possible,” I asked Rabbi Amos, after we had 
reached the borders of Kedron, “ that it is the act of an 
angel that can produce all this confusion and outbreak 
■>f the worst of human passions ?” 

“ There is no doubt that the troubling of the waters is 
a miracle,” he answered. “ The act of the angel is 
good. His touch gives a healing power to the water 
that cures diseases ; and shall his benevolence be an- 
swerable for these dreadful and disgusting consequences 
which we have just witnessed ?” 

I was silent ; but I sighed for the wickedness of man, 
that can turn even God’s gifts into evils in the reception 
of them. 

We now turned a little to the right, out of the high- 
way ; for as the bridge by which the road of Jericho is 
usually gained was being solidly rebuilt by the Romans, 
we had to follow the brook-side till we came near 
Absalom’s Pillar, at the sight of which, the whole history 
of that misguided young prince came before me. How 


112 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


wonderful, that the glorious head of golden hair, of 
which he was vain, and of which the poets of that day 
speak more than once, should have been the instrument 
of his death! As we journeyed further on there were 
ancient oak trees in sight, which the Rabbi said were 
old enough to be a part of the extensive forest through 
which he rode so fatally, and doubtless were. He 
showed me after awhile, and some distance from Jeru- 
salem, the pit into which the ten young men who slew 
Absalom cast him, heaping great stones upon him. This 
prince must have been as brave as he was beautiful and 
disobedient, that when hanging by his hair in the oak, 
and incapable of doing them harm, it should require 
“ ten young men to compass him and smite him.” Or, 
possibly, as Rabbi Amos thinks, this number combined 
to take, together, the blame before King David, which 
no one of them liked to encounter alone ! How inter- 
esting to me is every spot about Jerusalem ! I seem to 
live in the ancient days, when I see the scenes where 
have been enacted the great events which constitute the 
history and glory of our nation. 

We had hardly reached the place where the two 
roads meet, when we heard to the west the sound of the 
galloping of a large body of horse, and the next moment 
the young Roman Centurion came in sight, by the road 
from the Horse Grate, riding at the head of a troop of 
horse, whose martial appearance, with the ringing of 
their armor, and the melody of their bugles, made my 
blood leap; and I am sure if I could have seen my 
eyes, I should have discovered in them a martial light. 
iEmilius looked like a prince, and his burnished armor 
shone in the sun like armor of fire. At his side rode a 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


113 


youth who bore the eaglo of his band ; but the Centurion 
himself carried in his hand only the badge of his rank, 
which was a vine- rod bound with rings of gold. He 
saluted us with that courtesy which distinguishes his 
every motion, and then dividing his troop into two 
bodies, half of whom, trotting on a-head, led the van, 
and the other half, falling behind, served as a rear- 
guard. He then*gave the word to move forward. The 
Centurion himself rode either by the side of Rabbi Amos, 
or near our bridles, but he did not so far occupy himself 
with us as to forget his duty as captain, which he ful- 
filled with the utmost vigilance. 

Farewell, dear father, till my next, when I will re- 
sume my narrative of the events which have taken place 
since I left Jerusalem. The Grod of our father Abraham 
be your defence and shield. 

Your affectionate -daughter, 

Adina. 


LETTER VIII. 

My Dear Father : 

The vefy kind manner in which you have received 
my communications respecting the extraordinary prophet 
now drawing all Judea after him into the wilderness, 
and the assurance that I can obtain from your wisdom, 
learning, and piety, a solution of all difficulties, and a 
true guide to the truth, prompt me to continue freely, 
and in detail, the relation of events that have passed 
under my experience. I shall, in my accounts of the 
marvellous occurrences that I have witnessed, and may 


114 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


yet witness, not only convey to you the impressions 
made upon my own mind, but upon the minds of many 
others, of the wise, and learned, and great, who also 
have heard and seen these things. Thus you will have 
the weight of many testimonies, which you will doubt- 
less hold in respect in proportion to the dignity, and 
wisdom, and rank of the persons. 

My last letter ended with an account of the Roman 
escort, under the authority of the young Roman Centu- 
rion, who, as I have before written to you, with so much 
courtesy proffered its protection to our little party. The 
day was yet early, the sun not having got more than an 
hour and a half high above the mountains of Moab, and 
the air was of that buoyant elasticity so agreeable to 
breathe, and which strikes me as one of the peculiar 
blessings of this holy land of our fathers. In Egypt 
there is a want of life in the torrid air at this season, 
that we do not here experience ; and as I rode along, I 
felt as if I would gladly mount the Arabian of the desert, 
and fly across the sandy seas of Edom, with the fleet- 
ness which amazes me whenever I see the children of 
the desert ride ; for a band of thirty came boldly near 
us from a gorge as we approached Bethany, and after 
watching us a few moments, scoured away into the re- 
cesses of the hills, like the wind, as a detachment of a 
score of our Roman escort was ordered to gallop towards 
them. Upon this Rabbi Amos said that we were fortu- 
nate in having such strong protection, for this party of 
the children of Esau would otherwise have attacked 
and plundered us, as they are wont to do every party 
of Israelites they fall in with ; and the recent concourse 
of so many people to Jordan, has drawn them, with 


OR, THREE YEARS IN' THE HOLY CI1T. 


115 


great boldness, close to the walls of Jerusalem, says the 
Roman Centurion, in great numbers, to lay in wait for, 
and rob them. Thus, the hostility which began between 
the patriarch Jacob and the patriarch Esau, has never 
yet been healed, but rankles in the bosoms of their de- 
scendants even to this day ; and still, “ Esau hateth 
Jacob, because of the blessing wherewith his father 
blessed him.” The Romans greatly admired the horse- 
manship of these children of Esau ; and, upon their 
heavy horses, armed with their iron armor, it would 
have been vain to have followed them to their retreats. 

We soon afterwards reached the summit of the ridge 
above Bethany, from which eminence, before going down 
into the village, we had a gorgeous view of the Holy 
City of G-od, with its lofty Temple glittering in the sun- 
beams, like a mountain of architectural silver. The 
tower of Antonio darkly contrasted with its splendor, 
and the citadel of David frowned over the walls with a 
warlike majesty that deeply impressed me. Ah, how 
could I gaze upon the scene, my dear father, without 
emotions of awe, wonder, adoration, and gratitude ! I 
drew rein, and entreated Rabbi Amos to delay a few 
moments while I surveyed Jerusalem, which, familiar 
as it might be to him from this point, and to all the rest 
of our cavalcade, was new to me ; but he was too far 
ahead to hear me, for I had already been lingering for 
some seconds ; and the Centurion riding up to my side, 
stopped respectfully with a portion of his command, and 
said he would await my leisure. I could not but thank 
him for his civility, and then turning towards the city, I 
was soon lost to all else but the awful contemplation of 
it. Irresistibly, as I gazed, I went back, in memory, to 


116 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAYID • 


the time when otir father Abraham was met before its 
gates by Melchisedek, its king, who received regal 
homage from him. I saw again, David coming forth 
from its lofty portals, at the head of armies, to conquer 
the surrounding nations. I beheld the splendid trains 
of oriental monarchs, of the kings of the South, and the 
kings of the North, and of Sheba, the queen of happy 
Arabia, winding through its pleasant valley, and enter- 
ing in to prostrate themselves before Solomon, the prince 
of wisdom, glory, and power, the fame of whose wisdom 
and greatness filled the whole earth. Alas ! the whole 
earth is now filled with the story of the shame and 
bondage of Israel ! But the day cometh, dear father, 
when she shall lift up her face from the dust, and put on 
regal garments, and God shall place a crown upon her 
head, and her glory and dominion shall be without end. 
This certainty quenched the tears that burst into my 
eyes, as I contrasted the present with the past. In 
memory, as I continued to gaze, I saw the armies of the 
Assyrians, and the armies of the Chaldeans, the armies 
of Egypt, and of Persia, and of Greece, all, each in its 
turn, encompassing the Holy City, and conquering it 
even though God dwelt therein, in the mysterious fire 
of the Shechinah. But the 'presence of Jehovah in a 
city or in a heart, will not save it from its foes, if the 
city or the heart be not with God ; and we know from 
the Prophets that the hearts of our fathers were far from 
God ; and therefore were they delivered up to their 
enemies to be scourged. Oh, my dear father, that our 
people of to-day would learn the fearful lesson that the 
past teaches them ! 

“ You should see Rome,” said the Centurion, who had 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


117 


watched my emotion evidently with surprise. “ It is a 
city of grandeur unequalled. It covers six times more 
space than this city, and it contains three hundred and 
sixty-five temples, while Jerusalem contains hut one !” 

“ There is no God hut One,” I answered, impres- 
sively. 

“We believe that there is one God, who is the author 
of a great multitude of lesser gods, and to each we 
erect a temple,” he said firmly, yet respectfully. 

Upon this, touched with pity that one so nohle in 
mind and person should he so ignorant of the truth, I 
began to show him from the Prophets that God was 
One, and that all things were made by Him. But he, 
plucking a blossom from a tree which was within reach, 
said : 

“ It is beneath the dignity of the Father of the gods, 
the great Jove, to descend to make a flower like this ; or 
shape a crystal ; or color the ruby ; or create that golden- 
dyed humming-bird which flutters among those fragrant 
blossoms. He made the sun, and moon, and stars, and 
earth, but left the lesser works to inferior deities. Talk 
to me of thy One God, and prove to me, maiden, that He 
made all things, and is One, and thy God shall be my 
God.” 

It was then no time for me to endeavor to combat 
this error, but I have reserved to myself the first conve- 
nient opportunity to instruct him in the truth as it is 
revealed from Heaven to our favored people. He has 
already manifested an inquiring spirit into our holy 
faith, and Rabbi Amos has taught him many things 
from the Books of Moses, but sufficient only to lead him 
to desire to know more, but not to eradicate from his 


118 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


heart his pagan superstitions. The gentleness of his 
nature, his sound judgment, the frankness of his charac- 
ter, the ingenuous temper of the whole man, inspire me 
with great confidence that he will ultimately he con- 
vinced of his errors, and embrace the faith of Israel. 

We now rode forward through the street of Bethany, 
and soon came to the house of your former friend, Rabbi 
Abel, who died many years ago at Alexandria, when he 
went there with merchandise, and after the welfare of 
whose children you desired me to make inquiries. They 
are now, as you are aware, grown to the full estate of 
manhood and womanhood, and still dwell at Bethany. 
Being friends of my cousin Mary, it was decided that 
we should stop there to rest half an hour before proceed- 
ing on our way. It was a plain and humble dwelling, 
before which Rabbi Amos assisted me to alight ; but 
there was an air of neatness and sweet domestic repose 
about it that at once came home to my heart, and made 
me love the place even before I had seen the inmates, 
who had come out to receive, and gone in with my 
cousin ; but on hearing also of my arrival, there came 
out a fair young girl of twenty-two, with the most 
amiable expression of affectionate welcome ; and, ap- 
proaching me with mingled respect and love, she em- 
braced me, while Rabbi Amos pronounced our names to 
each other. I felt immediately as if I were in a sister’s 
arms, and that I should love her always. Next came 
forth a young man of about thirty years of age, with a 
countenance of an exceedingly interesting expression, 
full of intellect and good will. He was pale and habitu- 
ally thoughtful, but a fine friendly light beamed in his 
dark, handsome eyes, as he extended his hand to wel- 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


119 


come me. You have already had a full description of 
him, and of his character, in one of my former letters, 
and need not he told that it was Lazarus, the son of 
your friend. At the threshold, Martha, the eldest sister, 
met me, hut with more ceremony, and made an apology 
for receiving into so lowly a dwelling the rich heiress of 
Alexandria, as she termed me ; hut I embraced her so 
affectionately, that this feeling passed aw T ay instantly. 
I was much struck with this whole family. Each mem- 
ber of it possessed attractions of a peculiar kind ; and in 
all three I seemed to have found two sisters and a 
brother. Martha busied herself at once to prepare re- 
freshments for us, and soon set before us a frugal hut 
agreeable repast ; more than we desired, for we all in- 
sisted that we needed nothing, as we had not been long 
in the saddle. Mary, in the meanwhile, and Lazarus, 
sat on either side of me, and asked me many questions 
about Alexandria, and particularly if I had ever seen 
their father’s tomb. And when I told them that at my 
father’s request I had kept the flowers fresh about it, 
they both pressed my hands, and thanked me so grate- 
fully, that tears in my own eyes answered to the emo- 
tion in theirs. 

How shall I describe to you the loveliness of the per- 
son of Mary, and yet not so much the perfection of fea- 
ture as the soul which animates them, and lends them a 
charm that I cannot adequately convey to you ? Her 
eyes are of that remarkable color so seldom seen among 
our people, and when it is, is of a richer and more ceru- 
lean tone than is found in the aznre-eyed natives of the 
north. They are as blue as the skies of Judea, and yet 
possess all the starry, torrid splendor of the eyes of He- 


120 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


brew maidens. Her hair, which is a soft, golden brown 
color, is worn knotted in wavy masses about her superbly 
moulded neck. Her air is serene and confiding, and she 
has so little art that she lets you read all the secrets of 
her pure soul in the summer heaven of the sweet eyes I 
have spoken of. There is an indescribable pensiveness 
about her that is most touching, and at the same time 
pleasing. 

Martha, the oldest, is of a more lively disposition, yet 
more commanding in her aspect, being taller, and almost 
queenly in her mien. Her eyes and her hair are jet 
black ; the former mild, and beaming with intelligence, 
like those of her brother Lazarus, whom she resembles. 
She has a winning voice, and a manner that leads you 
to feel strong confidence in her friendship. She seemed 
to take the whole management of our entertainment 
upon herself, which the quieter Mary left to her, as if a 
matter of course, preferring rather to talk with me about 
the land of Egypt, where our fathers were so long in 
bondage, and about which all our young people in Judea 
have such awful ideas. Mary asked me if I was not 
afraid to dwell there ; if I ever saw the tomb of the 
Pharaohs ; and if the seventy pyramids of the Nilus were, 
the work of our forefathers, or had withstood the flood, 
like the everlasting hills. Lazarus conversed chiefly 
with Rabbi Amos, who questioned him with much inte- 
rest about the prophet John of the wilderness, to whom, 
you will remember, I wrote you Lazarus had paid a 
visit. After our repast, Martha showed me three beau- 
tiful bands of embroidery, which she was working for 
the new vail of the Temple to be put up next year ; for 
the sisters live by working needle-work for the Temple, 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


121 . 


and Lazarus makes copies of the Law and Psalms for 
the priests. He showed me his copying-table, and the 
rolls of parchment upon it, some partly inscribed in 
beautiful characters, some quite complete. He also 
showed me a copy of the Book of Isaiah, which he had 
just finished, and which had occupied him one hundred 
and seven days. It was exquisitely executed. Another 
incomplete copy was thrown aside, and was destined to 
be burned, because he had made a mistake in forming 
one letter ; for if an iota be added too much, the work 
is condemned by the priests and burned, so strict are 
they that perfect and immaculate copies of the Law, 
and none others, shall exist. Mary, also, showed me a 
beautifully embroidered foot-tablet, which the wife of 
Pilate, when she was last from Cesarea, ordered for 
herself. 

“ I shall not receive coin for it,” said Mary, “ but pre- 
sent it to her, for she has ever been very kind to us ; 
and when, last year, she and the Procurator Pilate, her 
lord, came up from Cesarea to Jerusalem, about the time 
of the Passover, she sent her own household physician 
to heal Lazarus, who was taken sick from over-much 
confinement to his tasks. She knew us only by inqui- 
ring who it was who worked the* embroidery of the altar 
mantles, which she had somewhere seen before they 
were placed in the Temple, and much admired.” 

Seeing upon the table a richly worked book-cover of 
silk and velvet, with the letters “ I. N.” embroidered in 
olive leaves upon it, I asked her if that, it being so elegant, 
was not for the High Priest. 

“ No,” answered Martha, with brightening eyes, speak- 
ing before her sister could reply, “ that is for our friend, 
and the friend and brother of Lazarus.” 


122 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


“ What is his name ?” I asked. 

“ Jesus, of Nazareth.” 

“ I have heard John speak of this person,” said my 
cousin Mary, with animation, and appealing to me, re- 
minded me how John had repeated what Lazarus had 
spoken to him of his friend from Nazareth, which I have 
written to you. “ I should feel happy,” added my cousin, 
“ to know him also.” 

“ And from what I have heard of him,” said I, “it 
would indeed he a pleasure to see him.” 

The two sisters listened to us with visible interest, 
and Martha said : 

“ If you had been here a few days ago, you would 
have seen him. He left us, after being with us three 
weeks, to return to Nazareth. But he requested to 
meet Lazarus at Bethabara, on the third day from 
this, for some important reason ; and my brother will go, 
for he loves him so that he would cross the seas to meet 
him.” 

“ Then,” said Rabbi Amos to Lazarus, “ if you are to 
journey so soon towards Jordan to meet your friend, you 
had best join our company and share our escort.” To 
this Lazarus, after some consultation with his sisters, 
consented. 

What a happy family, thought I, is this ! The sisters 
happy in each other’s love, the brother happy in theirs, 
all three united as one in the purest affection, and 
yet a fourth is added to the circle, whose love for the 
three is equal to theirs for him ! Humble in sta- 
tion, poor, and dependent upon the labor of their hands 
for their daily bread, yet their household is one that 
kings might envy, and which nor gold nor jewels could 
purchase. 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


123 


I left this blessed abode of fraternal friendship with 
regret, and felt that I should he perfectly happy if I 
could he admitted as a fifth link in the wreath of their 
mutual love. Even the Roman Centurion had been 
struck with the air of peaceful repose reigning there, 
and spoke of it to me with enthusiasm as w6 rode 
away. 

About noon we stopped at a caravanserai, half the way 
to Jericho from Bethany. Here we overtook a friend of 
Rabbi Amos, the venerable and learned scholar and law- 
yer, Gramaliel. He was, he confessed, also riding to 
Jordan, to have an interview with the prophet, being 
persuaded to seek it on account of an extraordinary 
dream he had, which he repeated to his friend Rabbi 
Amos, but not in our hearing ; but the effect upon my 
uncle excited a good deal of my curiosity to know what 
it was, but he has been studiously silent upon the sub- 
ject. Accompanying the lawyer, G amaliel, was a young 
man who was his disciple, and who went with him as a 
companion by the way. His name is Saul ; and I no- 
ticed him particularly, because I overheard the venera- 
ble lawyer say that he was the most remarkable young 
man who had ever sat at his feet to learn the mysteries 
of the law. This young law-disciple and Lazarus rode 
together, and talked long and earnestly by the way, 
the former thinking that nothing but mischief would 
come of the new prophet’s preaching, while the latter 
warmly defended him and his mission as divine. To 
their conversation the Roman Centurion listened with 
the closest attention, for Saul was learned in the Prophets, 
and drew richly from its stores to prove that the true 
Messias can never be heralded by so mean a messenger 


124 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


as this preacher of repentance in the wilderness. Saul 
eloquently drew a gorgeous picture of Messias’ com- 
ing, and the splendor of his reign, and added, that angels 
and heavenly signs, and not a wild man of the wilder- 
ness, with water baptism, should prepare the way before 
him. 

At length, as the day closed, we came in sight of the 
walls and towers of Jericho ; but we succeeded in 
reaching the gates only after they were closed. The 
presence of the young Centurion caused them to be im- 
mediately re-opened, and we were admitted, with some 
hundreds, who having reached the gate after it was 
shut, now begged, and received, permission to enter in 
our company. 

The next day we proceeded to Gilgal alone, the road 
being perfectly safe, the courteous Roman having early 
the same morning issued from the gates, in haste to pur- 
sue the famous Bar abbas, who had the last night attacked 
a caravan within four leagues of Jordan, and taken much 
booty, as well as slain many men. 

“ I now write to thee beneath the roof of the country 
residence of Rabbi Amos. To morrow early,” says a 
passage which I copy from my journal, written there, 
“ we are going to Bethabara, a little village beyond 
Jordan, but situated on its banks, near which we learn 
John is now baptizing, he being no longer at the ford 
of Jordan, where my cousin Mary’s betrothed, John, 
found him, and was baptized of him a few weeks 
ago. Lazarus has gone on with Saul and the learned 
Gamaliel, with many lawyers and doctors in com- 
pany, who desire to see and hear this prophet of the 
wilderness.” 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


125 


Indeed, dear father, the advent of a prophet is of so rare 
an occurrence among us, that the hare idea that John 
the Baptizer may be a true prophet of God, has moved 
the great heart of Israel, and stirred up curiosity, hope, 
and marvel, in the highest degree ever known in the 
land. There seems to he hut one subject, and hut one 
thought. Every man says to his neighbor : “ Have you 
seen or heard the new prophet ? Is he Messias, or is 
he Elias ?” 

My next letter will give you a narration, my dear 
father, of what I witnessed at Bethabara, and will, 
perhaps, more deeply interest you than anything I have 
yet written. 

That the hope of Israel may not be long deferred, 
and that we may receive the Messias, when he com- 
eth, in humble faith, in honor, and in love, is the 
prayer of 

Your affectionate daughter, 

Adina. 


LETTER IX. 

My Dear Father : 

In these letters to you which give an account of my 
excursion with Rabbi Amos to the Jordan, I hope you 
will pardon the details which I enter into, for it is my 
earnest desire that you should see every thing with my 
eyes, as if you had been present with me, — in order that 
you may, though absent, be able to judge, as if you had 
been an eye-witness, of the remarkable events of which 
I have undertaken to give you a complete history. 1 


126 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


know that your liberal mind, and your sense of equity 
and justice, will lead you to read all I have to write, 
before you take upon you to make a reply to the facts 
which, with filial love and reverence, I present to your 
consideration. 

After Rabbi Amos had reached the house in the wheat- 
fields of Grilgal, where he intended to take up his sojourn 
for the weeks of harvest, and had directed his servants 
what to do, he kindly told us that he was ready to ac- 
company my cousin Mary and myself to the Jordan, to 
hear the prophet. It was with no little gratification, 
therefore, that my cousin and myself once more mounted 
our mules, and proceeded towards the place where we 
heard the great prophet was baptizing. But we had not 
ridden a great way from the house when we overtook 
two men on foot, with staves in their hands and wallets 
upon their shoulders. As we passed, one of them bowed 
with respect to Rabbi Amos, who, from his rank as a 
priest, and his venerable appearance, always commands 
the homage of all men. 

“ Whither goest thou at such a pace, friend Matthew?” 
said Rabbi Amos, returning his salutation, for he seemed 
to know him. “ Canst thou leave thy tax-gathering 
these busy times to go into the wilderness ?” 

The person, who was a man of stout figure, with dark 
hair and beard, and a look of intelligence, but whose 
costume was plain and ill- worn, smiled and answered : 

“ If a man would find the payers of tribute nowa- 
days, good master, he must not stay at home, forsooth, 
but go into the wilderness of Jordan, where all men 
have gone. Verily, this new prophet emptieth our 
towns, and we publicans must remain idle in our seat 
of customs, or go with the tide.” 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


127 


“ Thy words are near the truth, friend Matthew,” 
answered my uncle ; “ but hast thou no other motive in 
thy heart than looking after thy Roman coins, in taking 
this journey from Jericho ?” 

“ I have curiosity to see a man whom multitudes 
resort to from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from 
Jerusalem, and from all Judea, and from beyond 
Jordan.” 

1 1 And thinkest thou,” continued my uncle, as the two 
men walked along by the side of his mule, “ thinkest 
thou this prophet is a true son of the Prophets ?” 

“ He works no miracles, unless, indeed, the power of 
his preaching be a miracle,” answered Matthew. 

“ This man is an impostor. There can be no prophet 
unless he prove his mission by miracles,” suddenly said 
the companion of Matthew, speaking up abruptly in a 
sharp and unpleasing voice. Now neither Mary nor I 
liked the face of this man from the first. He was low 
in height, was ill-featured, and his attire was mean ; but 
he had a suspicious air, combined with a cringing defer- 
ence to Rabbi Amos, that made me think he must be a 
hypocrite. He smiled with his mouth and teeth, but at 
the same time looked sinister out of his eyes. An air 
of humility seemed to me to be put on to conceal the 
pride and wickedness of his character. He looked like 
a man who could artfully deceive to gain his selfish ends, 
and who would kneel to you to overturn you. The 
sound of his voice confirmed my first impression of him. 
Upon his speaking, Rabbi Amos fixed his eyes upon him, 
as if he did not like the manner of his breaking in upon 
the conversation. 

“ What is thy companion’s name, friend Matthew ?” 
he asked aside, as the other walked on ahead. 


128 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID: 


“ His name is Judas, called Iscariot. He hath been 
engaged by me to bear the moneys I collect in the 
country villages ; and as we are to gather taxes both at 
Gilgal and Bethabara, he cometh with me.” 

We now came in sight of the Jordan, but could dis- 
cover no crowd upon its banks. While we were wonder- 
ing at not beholding any signs of the multitude, we met 
a stranger who was riding a horse, and coming from the 
northward, who, seeing us apparently in perplexity, in- 
quired with courtesy if we were not seeking John the 
prophet. Upon Rabbi Amos replying in the affirmative, 
the horseman informed us that he had removed up the 
river, some two hour’s ride, and was then baptizing neai 
the little village of Bethabara, on the east bank of Jor- 
dan ; and he added, that not less than eight thousand 
people must be thronging the shores. 

“ Dost thou know this stranger?” asked of Matthew 
Rabbi Amos, who had gratefully thanked him for his 
intelligence, looking back after him as he rode on. “ I 
saw thee salute him.” 

“ He is an officer of Herod the Tetrarch’s hot&ehold,” 
was the response, “ a Hebrew of great wealth, and he 
payeth more tribute-money to the emperor from his 
lands than any Israelite between Jericho and Jerusa- 
lem.” 

At length, dear father, after hastening the speed of 
our mules, and riding pleasantly for two hours along the 
verdant banks of Jordan, we came in sight of a square 
tower of stone, peering above the trees which marked 
the site of the village of Bethabara. “ That tower,” said 
Rabbi Amos, stands over a cave in which Elijah long 
dwelt, and in which Isaiah at one time concealed him- 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


129 


self from his enemies. It is now called the 4 Tower of 
Elijah.’ From the summit of yonder hill, at the left, 
the prophet was caught up, and ascended to heaven upon 
the chariot of fire ; and near where you see the single 
rook, Elisha divided Jordan with the fallen mantle left 
him by the ascending prophet of Grod.” 

All these places, with many others which the intelli- 
gent Rabbi Amos pointed out to us, were very interest- 
ing to me, for nothing commands my attention so pro- 
foundly as allusions to the scenes of the olden days of 
the prophets and kings of Israel. While my eyes were 
fixed upon the hill, and my imagination presented to me 
Elijah standing upon the chariot of heaven, disappearing 
amid the clouds, there was an opening in the wood be- 
fore us, and all at once we beheld a scene that made my 
heart cease to beat, it was so new and wonderful. Near 
that place the winding river takes a broad curve, and 
the opposite village of Bethabara lies in the hollow of it, 
forming the centre of half a circle. This widely curv- 
ing shore was alive with the human heads that filled it. 
Not a place could be seen where some one did not stand. 
And of this vast multitude every eye was concentrated 
upon the prophet, as from the crescent tiers of the am- 
phitheatre in Alexandria all gaze at once upon the scenes 
passing in the arena. He was standing near the oppo- 
site shore, (the Jordan here is very narrow, and can be 
forded,) in the water, addressing the countless assembly 
that stood opposite to and half encircling him. Near 
him, behind, and on either side, sat his disciples, upon 
the bank, at least a hundred in number, chiefly young 
men. Behind rose the Tower of Elijah, and receding 
farther from the shore lay the sweet village of Betha- 
bara, with its green gardens and snow-white walls. 


130 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


The clear voice of the youthful prophet of the wilder- 
ness fell distinctly on our ears, so great was the stillness 
of the vast audience. We could not approach very near 
on our mules ; and dismounting at the outskirts of the 
throng, we left them with the two servants, and on foot 
drew as near to the place where the prophet stood as we 
could. Many of the people, seeing and recognizing 
Rabbi Amos, respectfully made way for him, so that at 
length we stood directly opposite the speaker, with a full 
view of him, so that we could hear every word. To my 
surprise I saw John, the cousin of Mary, standing close 
to the prophet, and listening with the deepest and most 
reverent attention to every syllable he uttered. The 
subject of the prophet’s discourse was as before, and as 
always, the coming of the Messias. Oh that I could 
give you, my dear father, the faintest idea of the power 
and eloquence of his language ! 

“ There is no remission of sin without shedding of 
blood,” he continued, earnestly. “ The baptism of water 
with which I baptize you is unto repentance ; but there 
must be blood outpoured ere sin can be washed away ! 
Do you ask me if the blood of bulls and goats take not 
away sin ? I answer and say unto you, that the Lord 
hath said that He delighteth not in these rivers of blood.” 

“ For what, then, great prophet,” asked one of the 
chief Levites, who stood near him — “ for what then are 
the sacrifices ordained by the Law of Moses — for what 
then the altar in the Temple, and the daily sacrifice of 
the Lamb ?” 

“ For what ?” repeated the prophet, with his eyes 
beaming with the earnest light of inspiration — “for 
what but as types and shadows of the real and true 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


131 


sacrifices appointed by God from the foundation of the 
world ! Think ye a man can slay the lamb of his flock 
for the sin of his soul? If God demands thy life, shall 
he accept the life of a brute ? Nay, men of Israel, the 
day has come when your eyes shall be opened. The 
hour is at hand when the true meaning of the daily 
sacrifice shall be understood. Lo ! the Messiah cometh, 
and ye shall see and believe !” 

There now came several persons towards him who 
desired baptism. While he was baptizing these persons, 
both men and women, I saw appear on the little mound 
near the tower from which Rabbi Amos had said Elijah 
.ascended, Lazarus, the brother of Martha, accompanied 
by a man of about his own years, of an indescribable 
dignity and grace of aspect, combined with an air of 
benevolence and peace that at once attracted me. 

“ It must be the friend of Lazarus,” said Mary to me ; 
for she had discovered him at the same time. “ See 
with what calm serenity he gazes upon the multitude, 
yet retiring in his manner, as if he shrank from the com- 
mon eye !” He was wrapped in a vesture of dark blue 
cloth, which was folded about his form ; his head was 
bare, and his hair flowed like a Nazarene’s down about 
his shoulders. He seemed so unlike all other men, in a 
certain majesty united with sweetness that marked his 
whole air, that I could not withdraw my gaze from him. 

The prophet at the same moment rested his eyes upon 
him, and, as he did so, I saw a change come over his 
face, as if he had seen an angel. His eyes shone with 
unearthly brilliancy, his lips parted as if he would speak, 
yet had lost the power ; and then, with his right hand 
stretched forth towards the noble stranger, he stood for 


132 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


a moment like a statue. All eyes followed his, and the 
direction of his stretched-out arm. Suddenly he ex- 
claimed, and oh, how like the trumpet of Horeb his 
voice rung : 

“ Behold 1” 

There was not a face in that vast multitude that was 
not directed towards the little eminence, where Lazarus, 
evidently amazed at the attitude and words of the pro- 
phet, and the gaze of all that way, stood by his friend. 

“ Ye have asked wherefore is slain the daily lamb,” 
continued the prophet. u The day has come when the 
lamb of -sacrifice, which can take away no sin, shall 
cease. Behold !” And here he stretched forth both arms 
towards the dignified stranger : “ Behold Him who 

taketh away the transgressions of men! He it is who, 
coming after me, is preferred before me. He it is to 
whom I bear witness, as the Messiah, the Son of the 
Highest ! There stands the Christ of God ! the only 
true Lamb, whose blood can wash away the iniquities 
of us all ! He hath dwelt among you — He hath walked 
your streets — He hath sat in your homes, and I knew 
him not, till I now behold on Him the sign of the Mes- 
siah, and therefore know I that it is He who is to redeem 
Israel !” 

When the prophet had thus spoken in a voice that 
thrilled to every bosom, we beheld the august stranger 
advance towards the prophet. He moved on alone. 
Lazarus had fallen prostrate on his face when he heard 
announced that it was the Messiah with whom he had 
thus been on terms of friendship. As He continued to 
come forward, all was expectation in the immense mul- 
titude ! The mass of heads swayed this way and that, 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


133 


to get a sight of His face, which I could see was serene, 
hut pale and earnest. John, the cousin of Mary, seeing 
Him approach, lowly knelt, and bowed his head in reve- 
rential awe and love. Those who stood between Him 
and the prophet moved involuntarily apart, and left an 
open path for Him to the water-side. He walked at a 
slow and even pace, with an air of humility, veiling the 
native dignity of his kingly port. 

The prophet, on seeing Him come neg,r, regarded 
Him, as it seemed to me, with far more awe than all 
others. 

“ What wouldst thou of thy servant, 0 Messiah, 
Prophet of G-od, mighty to save?” he said, in tremu- 
lous tones, as the stranger came even some paces into 
the water towards him. 

“ To be baptized of thee,” answered the Christ, in 
a still, quiet voice, that was heard to the remotest 
bounds of the crowd. Never, oh, never shall I forget 
the sounds of that voice, as it fell upon my ears ! 

“ I have need to be baptized of Thee , and comest 
Thou to me,” answered the prophet, with the lowliest 
humility and awe of manner, and with looks expressive 
of his amazement. 

“It becometh us to fulfill all righteousness,” answered 
Messiah, mildly ; and when He had said this, the pro- 
phet, though still with a manner of doubt, and with the 
holiest reverence, administered then unto Him, in the 
sight of all the people, the like baptism which he had 
administered to his disciples. 

And now, my dear father, comes to be related the 
most extraordinary thing that ever took place in Israel 
since the Law was given from Sinai, and which, it must 


134 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


"be clear to you, bears unquestionable testimony, that 
Jesus of Nazareth, the noble stranger baptized in Jordan, 
and to whom John bore witness, is truly Messias the 
Son of Grod. * 

No sooner did the baptized stranger go up out of the 
water, than there was heard above all our heads a noise 
as of rolling thunder, although the sky was cloudless j 
and when in great fear we looked up, we beheld a 
dazzling glory far brighter than the sun ; and from the 
midst of this celestial splendor there darted with arrowy 
velocity a ray of light which descended and lit upon the 
head of the Christ. Some of the people said it thun- 
dered ! and others that it lightened ! but judge the 
amazement and admiration of all, and the dread awe 
that shook every soul when, amid the glory above His 
head, was seen the form of a dove of fire, with outspread 
wings overshadowing Him as it were ; and from the 
heavens what was supposed to be thunder, shaped itself 
into a voice, which uttered these words in the hearing 
of every ear : 

“ This is my beloved Son in whom I am well 

PLEASED.” 

At hearing these words from the skies a great part of 
the multitude fell on their faces! Every cheek was pale, 
and each man gazed on his neighbor in wonder and fear. 
When the majestic, yet terrible voice had given utter- 
ance to these words, the light disappeared, the dove re- 
ascended to the skies, and was lost to the sight, leaving 
a halo of divine glory resting upon the head of this 
4 f Son of Grod.” He alone seemed unmoved and calm 
amid all this awful scene, and going up the river bank, 
disappeared mysteriously and suddenly from my earnest 





' 

■ 

<> • . . 




OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


135 


gaze. At length, when men came a little to themselves, 
and would gaze on Him whom all knew now to he the 
Christ, no one could find Him, so effectually had He 
withdrawn Himself from their homage. 

Your affectionate 

Adina. 


LETTER X. 

My Dear Father : 

I will commence this letter by asking your dispas- 
sionate perusal of my preceding epistle, and entreating 
you not to let any prejudice unworthy of the wisdom 
and liberality by which you are distinguished among 
men, lead you to reject, without examination, belief of 
the events which have formed the subject of my recent 
letters to you, and to close your mind to the convictions 
to which they may give rise. Please, my honored and 
beloved father, please to consider impartially the things 
of which I have written, the preaching of John, and his 
baptism of Jesus, whom, before ten thousand people, he 
declared to be Messias, to whom he bore witness, and 
how the voice of G-od, as audible in the ears of all as 
that which shook Horeb and Sinai, proclaimed from 
Heaven that He was “ His beloved Son!” Think of 
all this, and ask yourself seriously, “ Is not this the 
Christ ?” 

This question need not pass far on its way ere it finds 
a response from my lips and heart : “ Yes, He is the 
Christ, and I will believe in Him !” 

I can see your face, my dear father, change its expres- 


136 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID: 


sion of mild benignity, as you read this confession from 
my pen! I can see you look both displeased and 
grieved. But you have no reason to fear that I shall do 
or believe aught that will bring shame on your gray 
hairs, or your name. If thou art a Jew, and proud of 
being descended from the lineage of the Patriarchs who 
walked with the Lord, I am also equally proud of my 
nation and of my faith, In believing Jesus of Nazareth 
to be the Messias of God, I do not make myself less a 
Jewess ; but, without believing it, my dear father, I 
could not be completely a Jewess. Has not the Messias 
of our nation been the burden of Judah’s prayer and of 
Israel’s hope, for ages ? Poes not the belief that Messias 
cometh, constitute one of the great characteristics of the 
Jewish race ? Do the Gentiles look for the Christ ? If 
not, and we alone look for him, and every mother in 
Israel hopes tremblingly, with joy and doubt, that he 
may be found in her first-born son, is it that I am less a 
Jewess, or rather that I am only a true Jewess, when I 
believe Jesus to be the Messias, seeing in Him all that a 
Messias could bring, even the voice of God in testimony 
of His Mission ? But I sincerely trust, my dear father, 
that I am defending my belief unnecessarily, and that 
when you come to read and compare, and examine well, 
you will rejoice with me that God has remembered 
Israel, and that He is about to take away her reproach 
among the nations. 

I shall wait for your next parcel of letters with the 
deepest solicitude, in order that I may know what your de- 
cision is in reference to these extraordinary things which 
are coming to pass. You will not hear them only from 
my letters, dear father, for the report of these wonders is 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


137 


broad-cast over the land, and men who witnessed the 
baptism of Jesus, will, no doubt, report in Egypt what 
then took place, especially the voice of God rolling like 
articulate thunder along the cloudless sky, and the 
descent of the fiery dove upon the head of the new 
Prophet. Merchants of Damascus and of Cairo were 
present, leaving their trains of camels a little way off ; 
and Arab horsemen sat in their saddles on the outside 
of the crowd ; while Roman soldiers, strangers from 
Persia and Edom, and even the merchants from Media, 
with numerous people, Gentiles as well as Jews, were 
seen mingled with the multitude. This thing, therefore, 
was not done in a corner. The voice I plainly heard, 
and understood every word ! It seemed to me to come 
from the far blue depths of Heaven at an immeasurable 
distance, but with the clearness of a trumpet, and the 
sonorous majesty of thunder. But the light which 
descended was the most dazzling that human eyes ever 
encountered ; and though when descending with the 
velocity of lightning, it seemed like a lance of fire ; yet, 
upon reaching the sacred head of Jesus, as He came 
forth from out of the water, it assumed, as I before 
stated, the shape of a dove ; and, resting upon Him, 
overshadowed Him with its wings of light, and cast over 
His whole person a glittering splendor, like the sun. 
This lasted for full a minute, so that all eyes beheld it, 
and then followed the voice from the skies ! The bril- 
liancy of the light from the heavenly dove was so 
resplendent that I could not behold it; and when I 
looked again it had disappeared ; but a cloud of softened 
lustre shone still around the head of Jesus, and his face, 
like that of Moses, emitted rays of glory. While thou- 


138 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


sands either stood stupefied, or fell upon their faces in 
adoration and fear, He withdrew himself from the mul- 
titude, no one knew how, save two persons, whose eyes 
never wander from him. These were the cousin of 
Mary, John, and Lazarus, the brother of Mary and 
Martha. 

The people, after recovering a little from their amaze- 
ment and awe, were looking for Him, and inquiring 
whither he had gone, some gazing into the water, some 
towards the wilderness, some even gazing upwards into 
Heaven, of which last I was one, as if they expected to 
behold Him ascending upon a chariot of dazzling clouds 
towards the throne of His Hod and Father, who had 
acknowledged Him to he His Son. The general impres- 
sion was, that he had been translated to Heaven ; and 
some wept that a prophet was sent to he taken so soon ; 
while others rejoiced that the Lord had not forgotten to 
he gracious unto the house of Israel : some doubted, and 
called it magic and sorcery ; and others, who were doubt- 
less filled with their own wickedness, mocked, and said 
the voice was thunder, and the light lightning. But 
here they were disputed against, for, said hundreds, 
“ There is no cloud in the sky, then whence could come 
thunder and lightning?” But the majority believed, 
and greatly rejoiced at what they had seen and heard. 
The prophet John, of Jordan, appeared to me to be more 
surprised at what had taken place than any others. He 
looked constantly around for Jesus, and then, with his 
hands clasped together and uplifted, gazed heavenward, 
as if satisfied, with the thousands around him, that he 
had been received up into Heaven. 

The excitement which the sudden disappearance of 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


139 


Jesus produced, led to a universal separation of the mul- 
titude, who dispersed in all directions, some to seek for 
Him, some to spread the news of what they had seen, 
and all forgetting John the Baptizer, whom they had 
hitherto followed, in the greater splendor of the new 
prophet, whose advent had been so remarkably accom- 
panied by the descent of fire and a voice from the sky. 

Rabbi Amos and our party remained standing near 
the water, for he did not wish us to be lost in the reti- 
ring throngs, and he also desired to speak with John, 
who stood alone in the midst of the water, precisely 
where he had baptized Jesus. Not one of his disciples 
remained with him. Rabbi Amos drew near, and said 
to him : 

“ Holy prophet, knowest thou what man, if man he 
may be called, was just baptized by thee ?” 

The prophet, whose eyes had been steadfastly raised 
all the while, bent his looks with tearful tenderness upon 
Rabbi Amos, and said, plaintively and touchingly : 

“ This is He of whom I spake — After me cometh a 
man which is preferred before me, for He was before 
me. And I knew Him not ; but He that sent me, to 
baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom 
thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on 
Him, the same is He that baptizes with the Holy Gihost. 
And I saw the Spirit descending like a dove, and I saw 
and bear record this is the Son of Grod !” 

“ And whither, oh, holy prophet of Jordan,” asked 
Rabbi Amos, with deep and sacred interest, “whither 
has He departed ?” 

“ That I know not! He must increase and I must 
decrease, whether He remaineth on earth or has been 


140 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAYID : 


taken up into Heaven ! My mission is now drawing 
to its close : for He to whom I have borne witness is 
come.” 

“ And is He come to depart so soon forever ?” I asked, 
with deep interest ; “ shall we behold Him no more !” 

“The hidden things belong to G-od. I 'know not 
whence He came nor whither He has gone ! for I knew 
Him not in all His glory, but only as a prophet and son 
of man, until the Spirit descended and abode upon Him. 
Ye have heard my testimony that this is the very Mes- 
sias, the Christ, the Son of G-od !” 

Thus speaking, he turned and walked out of the water 
on the side towards Bethabara, and disappeared among 
the trees that fringed the bank. I now looked in the 
face of Rabbi Amos, upon whose arm Mary was tearfully 
leaning, still under the influence of the terror which the 
scenes she had been a spectator of, had produced in 
her soul. His face was grave and thoughtful. I said, 
“ Uncle, dost thou believe all that thou hast seen and 
heard ?” 

“ I know not what to say,” he answered, “ only that 
the things which I have beheld this day are evidences 
that God has not forgotten his people Israel !” He said 
no more. We left the banks of the Jordan in silence 
and awe, and remounting our mules, which the two 
Gibeonite slaves held for us in waiting under a palm 
tree not far off, we returned towards my uncle’s house 
at G-ilgal. On the way we constantly passed crowds of 
people who were riding and walking; and all were in 
high talk about the wonderful events which had taken 
place at the river. The impression seemed universally 
to be that Jesus had gone up into Heaven after he was 
buptized. 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


141 


But, my dear father, it is with deep joy that I am 
able to tell you that this wonderful person is still on 
the earth, and doubtless permitted to remain thereon for 
some great purpose. I stated that my cousin John, and 
Lazarus, the Secretary of the Scribes, had kept their 
eyes upon Him from the first, and that they had seen 
Him pass down the river, where some projecting and 
overhanging trees hid Him at once from view. Though 
they often lost sight of Him, they yet followed Him by 
the print of His sandals in the wet sand of the shore, 
and at length came in view of Him, as he was leaving 
the river bank, and going towards the desert, between 
two low hills, which hid Him from their eyes. But one 
of the young men said to the other, while both were 
burning with wonder and love : 

“ Let us not fail to overtake Him, and follow Him 
whithersoever He may go ; for with Him must be the 
well of life, as He is so highly favored of Gfod.” 

So they went on ; but though they moved forward 
rapidly, they next saw Him far distant, crossing the arid 
plain that stretches south towards Jericho and the desert. 
They ran very swiftly, and at length coming near Him, 
called “ Master, good master, stay for us, for we would 
follow and learn of thee !” 

He stopped, and turned upon them a visage so pale, 
and marred with sadness and anguish, that they both 
stood still and gazed upon Him with amazement at be- 
holding such a change. The glory of His beauty had 
passed away, and the beaming splendor which shone 
from His countenance was wholly gone. The expres- 
sion of unutterable sorrow that remained, pierced them 
to the heart. Lazarus, who had been so long his bosom 


142 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


friend, wept aloud. “Weep not! thou shalt see me 
another day, my friends,” He said. “I go now to the 
wilderness, in obedience to the Spirit which guideth me 
thither. Thou shalt, after a time, behold me again. It 
is expedient for you that I go whither I go.” 

“ Nay, hut we will go with thee,” said Lazarus, ear- 
nestly. “ If thou art to endure evil, we will he with 
thee.” 

“ There must he none to help. There must he none 
to uphold,” He said firmly, hut sadly. “ I must tread 
the wine press of temptation alone !” 

He then left them, waving His hand for them to go 
hack. They obeyed sorrowfully, wondering what His 
words meant, and wherefore it was needful for Him to 
go into the desert, where certain mysterious trials seemed 
to wait for Him ; and they wondered most of all at the 
change in His countenance, which, from being lustrous 
with celestial light, was now, said Lazarus, “ marred 
more than the sons of men.” From time to time the 
two young men looked backward to watch the receding 
figure of the Christ, till they no longer distinguished 
Him in the distance of the desert, towards the dreadful 
solitudes of which He steadfastly kept his face. 

The two friends came on to the house of Rabbi Amos, 
at Grilgal, the same night, and there Lazarus made 
known to us what I have just related. It affected us all 
deeply, and we sat together late at night upon the porch 
under the fig trees, talking of Jesus, and the things that 
had transpired concerning Him that day ; and though 
we all rejoiced greatly that He was still on earth, we 
wept to think that He was driven by some destiny, 
unknown and unfathomable by us, to dwell alone in the 
wilderness. 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


143 


Now, my dear father, how wonderful is all this ! That 
a great prophet is among us, cannot be denied. The 
star of John the Baptizer’s fame dwindles into a glow- 
worm before the glory of this Son of God ! That He 
will draw all men unto Him, even into the wilderness, 
if He takes up his abode there, cannot be questioned. 
But all is mystery, awe, curiosity, wonder, and excite- 
ment just now. No one has settled upon any opinion 
as to what will be the end of these things. Rabbi Amos 
advises all persons to wait patiently the issue, for if God 
has sent a Prophet, He must have a mission, which, in 
due time, He will come forth from the wilderness to 
deliver. In my next I may be able to write you some- 
thing further touching the development of that which 
remains so much enveloped in mystery. May the God 
of our father’s house come forth indeed from the 
Heavens, for the salvation of His People. 

Your devoted and loving 

Adina. 


LETTER XI. 


My Dear Father : 

In my last letter to you, I spoke of our return from 
Jordan, to Gilgal, to the country-house in the wheat 
fields of Peniel, where Rabbi Amos sojourns during the 
two weeks of harvest. At the house were assembled, 
not only John, the cousin of Mary, and the noble Laza- 
rus, but also Gamaliel, and Saul, his disciple, of whom 
I have before spoken, all of whom were invited to par- 
take of my uncle’s hospitality for the night; besides, the 


144 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAY1D : 


court of the dwelling was thronged with strangers, and 
the common people, who, being, far from their homes, 
and without food, had freely been invited to lodgings 
and food by the hospitable priest. 

As we sat up late conversing, with deep interest, upon 
the remarkable events of the day, an observation made 
by John, when speaking of the change in the face of 
Jesus, that “ His visage was marred more than the sons 
of men,” led the venerable Gamaliel to say to us : 

“ Those are the words of the prophet Esaias, and are 
truly spoken by him of Messias, when He shall come.” 

“ Let us consult Esaias, t^en, and see what further 
he hath said,” cried Rabbi Amos. “Mary, bring hither 
the roll of the Prophets.” 

My cousin Mary returned, and placed the book on a 
small stand before him, for, as I said in my last, we were 
all seated in the porch, where the evening breeze was 
cool. A lamp then being brought, I held it above the 
rolls of parchment, while my uncle found the portion of 
the Prophet to which the words belonged. 

“Read aloud, worthy Rabbi,” said the philosopher 
Gamaliel, “ we will all listen ; for though I do not be- 
lieve this young man who was to-day baptized is Messias 
and the Christ, who is to restore all things to us, yet I 
am prepared to reverence him as a great prophet.” 

“ And,” answered Rabbi Amos, “ if we find the pro- 
phecies do meet in him which we look for to meet in 
Messias when He cometh, wilt thou believe, venerable 
father ?” 

“ I will believe and reverently adore,” answered the 
sage, bowing his head till his flowing white beard almost 
touched his knees. 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


145 


“ Read, Adina, for thy eyes are young,” said my 
uncle ; and obedient, though embarrassed before such an 
audience, I read as follows : 

“ Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall bo 
exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were 
astonished at thee, His visage was so marred more than 
any man, and His form more than the sons of men.” 

“ How completely,” said John, “ these words de- 
scribed his appearance on the verge of the desert ; and 
yet I used them unconsciously.” 

“But,” said Saul, Gamaliel’s disciple, “if this be pro- 
phesied of the Christ, then we are to have a Christ of 
humiliation, and not one of honor and glory. Read one 
part which you have omitted, maiden, and we will see 
that there are words that import a higher condition than 
that of this unknown person, whom John the Baptizer 
himself confessed he did not know, nor ever beheld 
before.” 

I read on as follows : “ Behold my servant shall be 
exalted and extolled, and be very high. He shall 
sprinkle many nations ; the kings shall shut their 
mouths at Him. He shall lift up His hand to the 
Gentiles, and set up His standard to the people. Kings 
shall bow down to Him with their faces to the earth, 
and lick up the dust of His feet !” 

“ There! such is our Messias,” exclaimed Saul. 

“ Yes, it is a Christ of power and dominion who is to 
redeem Israel,” added Gamaliel ; “ not an unknown 
young man, scarcely thirty years of age, who came from 
whence no one knoweth, and hath gone as he came. As 
for the Christ, we shall know whence He cometh !” 

At hearing this great and good man thus discourse, 
7 


146 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


dear father, my heart sank within me ; for I could not 
hut confess that these prophecies of honor and power 
could not apply to the humble person John had baptized ; 
for Lazarus had already told us that his friend Jesus 
was of humble birth, a carpenter’s son, and his mother 
a widow ; that he had known him from boyhood, but 
known him only to love him. I now looked towards 
him, but I took courage when I saw that the words of 
G-amaliel did not in the least dim the light of his faith 
and confidence, which brightly sparkled in his eyes, that 
his friend Jesus was truly Messias of God. But my eye 
fell on what follows, and as I read it gained more confi- 
dence : “ He hath no form nor comeliness : and when 
we shall see Him there is no beauty that we should 
desire Him.” 

“ If the first part of this prophecy,” said Lazarus, his 
fine eyes lighting up, as he looked at Saul, “ be of the 
Christ, as you have just now confessed, then is this last 
of him ; and the fact that you reject him, is but the 
fulfillment of this part of the prophecy.” 

Hereupon arose a very warm discussion between 
Gamaliel and Saul on one side, and Babbi Amos, John, 
and Lazarus, on the other, the former contending that 
the prophecies referred to two distinct Christs, one of 
whem was to be lowly and a sufferer, and the other 
honorable and a conquerer ; while the latter maintained, 
that the seemingly opposite predictions referred to but 
one Christ in two different periods and circumstances of 
his life. 

“ But let this be as it may,” said John, after the argu- 
ments on both sides had been mainly exhausted, “ how 
will you, 0 Gamaliel, and you, Saul, get over the extra- 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


147 


ordinary voice and fiery appearance which distinguished 
the baptism ?” 

“ That must have been a phenomenon of nature, or 
done by the art of the famed Babylonish sorcerer, whom 
I saw prominent in' the multitude,” answered the phi- 
losopher. 

“ Did you not hear the words ?” asked Rabbi Amos. 

“ Yes, Rabbi ; nevertheless, they may have been 
thrown into the air from the lungs of this sorcerer ; for 
they do marvellous things.” 

“ Would you suppose that a sorcerer would be dis- 
posed to apply the sacred words of the Lord ?” asked 
John, earnestly. 

“ By no means,” he answered, reverently. 

“ If Rabbi Amos will allow me, I will show you the 
very words in King David’s prophecies of Messias.” 

All looked with interest on John, as he took from his 
mantle a roll of the Psalms. He opened it and read as 
follows, looking at Gamaliel : 

“ Why do the rulers take counsel together against the 
Lord, and against his anointed ? I will declare the 
decree. The Lord hath said unto me, 1 Thou art my 
Son.’ ” 

Upon hearing this read, Gamaliel was thoughtful. 
Rabbi Amos said : “ Of a truth we Jews believe these 
words were to be spoken to our Christ by the Lord Jeho- 
vah. Have we not heard this prophecy fulfilled this 
very day in our ears ?” 

“It is extraordinary,” answered Gamaliel. “ I will 
search the Scriptures when I reach Jerusalem, to see if 
these things be so.” 

“And the light in the form of a dove! Dost thou find 
an explanation for that ?” asked Rabbi Amos. 


148 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


“ No,” answered he; “and I will withhold all further 
opinion for the present.” 

“ It becomes you, 0 Gamaliel,” said Rabbi Amos, 
“ who art a father and teacher in Israel, to know 
whether these things be so, that thou mayest teach thy 
disciples.” 

“ But,” said Saul, with some vehemence, “ listen 
wdiile I read some prophecies also.” And he unrolled 
the book of the Prophets and read these words : 

“ Thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little 
among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He 
come forth unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel, whose 
goings forth have been ever of old, from everlasting.” 
“ Now, you will confess, Rabbi Amos,” he added, with 
a look of triumph, “that this word refers to our expected 
Messias.” 

“"Without doubt,” answered my uncle — “but” — 

“Wait, I beseech you, learned Rabbi,” said Saul, 
“ until 1 read you another prophecy, and he read : ‘ I 
have made a covenant with David, Thy seed will I es- 
tablish forever, and build up thy throne to all generations. 
His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun 
before me. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I 
will raise unto David a righteous Branch.’ Now you 
will all admit, brethren, that these prophecies refer to 
Messias. He is therefore to come of the lineage of 
David, and he is to be born in Bethlehem. Show me 
that this Jesus, the Nazarene, fulfills both conditions 
in his own person, and I will prepare to believe in 
him.” 

This was said haughtily, and with the air of one who 
cannot be answered. 

But immediately Lazarus rose to his feet and said : 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


149 


“ Although I did not recollect this prophecy, that Christ 
was to he horn in Bethlehem, yet I am overjoyed to find 
the fact respecting Jesus fulfills it. He ivas horn in 
Bethlehem of Judah. This I have known some years ; 
and — ” 

Here, while my heart was hounding with joy, Gama- 
liel said sternly, “ I thought this man was horn in 
Nazareth ?” 

“ He has lived,” answered Lazarus, “ in Nazareth 
from childhood only. During the days when Cesar 
Augustus issued a decree that all the world should he 
taxed, his mother, and Joseph her husband, went up to 
the city of David to he taxed, which is Bethlehem, and 
there Jesus was horn, as I have often heard from her lips. 
But it is on the records in the proper office of the Temple, 
and can he referred to there.” 

“ Admitting, then, that he was horn in Bethlehem,” 
said Saul, who, from his training in the schools, appeared 
to he much given to disputation, “ you have to prove his 
lineage from David’s line.” 

“ Wherefore did his parents go to Bethlehem, David’s 
city, unless they were of his royal line ?” asked Rahbi 
Amos ; “ for none went to any other city to he taxed 
than that of their own family. The fact that they 
went there is strong evidence that they were of David’s 
house.” 

“ Every one horn in the city of David,” remarked 
Gamaliel, “ is not of necessity of David’s house ; hut 
it is surprising if this Jesus really was born in Bethle- 
hem.” 

“ But may not his lineage he ascertained without a 
doubt from the records of the tribes, and of their families, 


150 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


kept by command of the law of the Temple ?” I asked 
of my uncle. 

“ Without question. These books of the generations 
of our people are to be relied on,” he answered. 

“ In fact,” said Gamaliel, “ they are kept with the 
greatest accuracy, and it is so ordained by God, for the 
very reason that when Messias cometh we may know 
whether he, who claims to be such, be of the house of 
David or no. I will examine the book of the Genera- 
tions, and see if his mother and father come of the stock 
and seed of David.” 

“ And if you find that they do,” asked John, with emo- 
tion, “ can you doubt any longer whether Jesus be the 
Christ ? Will not the fact of his being born in Bethle- 
hem, and of the lineage of David, not to speak of the 
witness of God’s own audible voice, heard by our ears 
this day — will not these facts lead you to believe that 
He is the Christ ?” 

“ They will prevent me from actually rejecting him,” 
answered the cold philosopher. “ But every child born 
in Bethlehem, and of the house of David, and there are 
many of them in Judah, fulfills', so far, the conditions of 
these two prophecies ; these are not therefore Mes- 
siahs !” 

“ What more can you ask for ?” asked Mary, with 
feeling ; for she as strongly believed that Jesus was the 
Christ as I did, and was deeply pained by so many doubts, 
and such subtlety of objection from those who were so 
learned in the prophets. But men reason and reason, 
while women simply believe. 

“ Miracles,” answered the disciple of Gamaliel, and 
glancing at the face of his master inquiringly. 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


151 


“ Yes, miracles,” also answered the sage. “ The Mes- 
siah is to heal the sick by a word, restore sight to the 
blind, cast out devils, and raise even the dead.” And 
here he desired Saul to read the particular prophecy 
giving the power of miracles to the Christ. 

“ If he restore the blind and raise the dead, I will doubt 
no longer,” answered Saul. 

There was at this moment an interruption caused by 
noisy altercations in the court among some of John the Bap- 
tist’s disciples, some of whom were disposed to acknowl- 
edge fully the superiority of Jesus ; while others, still in- 
dulging in the full fervor of their first conversion, stoutly 
contended for the transcendent greatness of him whom 
they regarded as their own Prophet. Rabbi Amos, as 
host, went out to put an end to these disputings, when 
Gamaliel retired to his chamber ; and the conversation 
was not renewed. 

Thus, you see, my dear father, that even on the very 
day of these marvellous events, by eye-witnesses them- 
selves, there is much difference of opinion concerning 
who Jesus is ; and therefore I do not expect you, who 
are so remote from the scene, and who know them only 
by report, to believe all at once, as I myself do. Will 
you write me and tell me what view you take of all this 
subject, and what can be brought from the Scriptures to 
prove that in this wonderful person Messias has not 
come ? 

The next morning early the people departed from the 
court where they had lodged ; and when the sun was 
about an hour high we also took saddle and rode to Jeri- 
cho, where we passed the day with Miriam, the daughter 
of Joel, who was cousin to my mother. 


152 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


Lazarus has returned to Bethany, where his occupa- 
tion demands his attendance ; hut John, the son of 
Eliasaph, has remained with us, having agreed with 
Lazarus that he would go again alone into the desert and 
not give up his search for the Divine Prophet, Jesus, 
until he had found him ; for both young men feel as sad 
as if they had lost a beloved and honored brother. 

Your daughter, 


Adina. 


LETTER XII. 

My Dear Father : 

How shall I thank you for your forbearance with me, 
and your kind answers to all my letters, filled as they 
are with so many inquiries and opinions, which must sur- 
prise, and perhaps displease you. You say that you have 
read all that I have written with impartiality, and that 
you do not marvel that “ one whom you are pleased to 
call so imaginative and full of sensibility as myself, should 
be affected by what has passed under my observation in 
Judea.” You nevertheless refuse, on your part, my 
dear father, to listen, with the least proximation towards 
belief, to the extraordinary recital I have given you. You 
are pleased to question the reality of the voice at Jordan, 
and the presence of the dove of fire, and to refer it, as 
many others try to do who actually witnessed it, to an il- 
lusion of the senses. You are willing to admit that Jesus 
may be born at Bethlehem, for many whom you know 
“ who are not prophets, neither sons of prophets, were born 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 


153 


there.” You are willing to admit that he “ may he of the 
lineage of David, for David’s descendants are as numer- 
ous as they are poor and obscure, yet they are not Mes- 
siahs, nor do they pretend to be Christs.” You are content 
with doubting the accuracy of the memory of the mother 
of Lazarus, as to the scene in the Temple, about thirty 
years ago, described to you by my cousin Mary in her 
letter, though acknowledging you have often seen both 
Simeon and Anna in the Temple, and about the time 
stated by her. But your main objection to receiving 
John’s evidence that this is the Christ, is, “ that he is 
poor, of humble station, destitute of influence, received 
baptism of a man, when the Messias was to be the 
anointed of God.” “ Who,” you ask, “ of the wise, and 
the venerated, and the learned, and the aged, with years 
and experience ; who of the doctors, and lawyers, and 
priests ; who of the Scribes, and who of the Pharisees, 
and of the great men of Israel, will agree in acknow- 
ledging as Him of whom Moses and the Prophets wrote ; 
as the central sun around which all the dazzling pro- 
phecies of Esaias revolve ; as the end and fulfilling of the 
law ; as the Lion of the tribe of Judah ; as the Shiloh 
of the nations ; as the Wonderful, the Counsellor, the 
mighty God and the Prince of Peace ; as the glory of 
Israel, and the Joy of the whole Earth — an obscure 
young man of thirty, unlearned in letters, the son of a 
carpenter, a citizen of Nazareth (a city proverbially 
mean), a person without name, character, power, rank, 
wealth, or influence, arid the last that was heard of 
whom was, that he had fled into the desert ?” You add, 
dear father, that this mere enumeration of what the true 
Christ ought to be, with the enumeration of what is 

7 * 


154 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


wanting in this man, should he sufficient to convince 
me that I have given my sympathies and faith to one 
who has no claim to them. You say further, “ that you 
do not call my Messias an impostor, because, so far as 
you can learn, he has professed nothing, proclaimed 
nothing, declared nothing, respecting himself. In si- 
lence he appeared, and in silence disappeared, none 
knowing whe nee or whither;” and you close your review 
of my history by saying, “ that you shall wait for further 
development before you can give the subject your serious 
consideration.” 

In your next letter, where you again allude to the 
theme, you say, “that if this prophet reappears, and 
from his own lips declares himself sent from God, and 
by an appeal to undisputed miracles gives proof of his 
divine mission, declaring himself, thereby, to be the 
Christ, you wfill then believe in Him, provided the whole 
of the prophecies can be shown to meet in his person.” 

On this ground, I am willing that the issue should bo 
met, dearest father ; and you add, with your usual can- 
dor, “ that you will not hesitate to acknowledge as the 
Christ a man who fulfills all prophecy in his own person, 
though he come in a state and condition contrary to 
your preconceived notions of the character of the Mes- 
sias ; for that it would be safer for you to question the 
correctness of your own interpretation of the Messiac 
prophecies hitherto, than the identity of one in whom, 
without question, do meet all the golden threads of the 
predictions relating to the Christ.” Here I am content, 
my dear father, to let the question remain, being, how- 
ever, fully persuaded in my own mind that though this 
humble young man, Jesus, hath come lowly and ob- 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


155 


scurely into the world, yet he will prove himself to that 
world that He is the true Messias, Christ of God. 

Now, my dear father, let me resume the interesting 
subject, of which my letters have been so full ; and, 
moreover, as you have desired me still to keep you in- 
formed of all that transpires touching Jesus of Nazareth, 
and as no theme upon which I can write is so pleasing 
to me, I will here narrate all that I have heard since I 
last wrote to you. 

It is now eight weeks since our return from Gilgal. 
For five weeks after we reached Jerusalem, we heard 
nothing of Jesus, until John, son of Eliasaph, re-ap- 
peared. He and Lazarus came into the city together, 
and to the house of Rabbi Amos. Our first inquiry was : 

“ Have you seen Him ? Have you heard anything 
from Him?” 

“ John has seen Him,” answered Lazarus, seriously ; 
“ ask him, and he will tell you all.” 

We looked at John, who sat sad and pensive, as if he 
were dwelling in his mind upon some painful, yet tender 
sorrow. The eyes of my cousin Mary, which always 
caught their lustre from his, were shaded with an in- 
quiring look of sympathy and solicitude. 

“ You are not well, I fear,” she said, placing her fair 
hand upon his white brow, and putting back the hair 
from his temples. “ You have been long away, and are 
weary and ill.” 

“ Weary, Mary? I shall never complain of weariness 
again, after what I have beheld.” 

“ What have you seen ?” I asked. 

“ Jesus in the desert ; and when I remember Him 
there, I shall forget to smile more.” 


156 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


“ You found Him, then ?” I eagerly asked. 

“ Y'es, after days of painful search. I found Him in 
the very centre of the Desert of Ashes, where foot of 
man had never trodden before. I saw Him upon His 
knees, and heard His voice in prayer. I laid down the 
sack of bread and fishes, and the skin of water I had 
brought with me to succor Him, and with awe drew 
near where He stood.” 

“ How did you find Him there?” I asked, with that 
painful interest which exacts all details. 

“ By His footsteps in the sand and ashes. I saw where 
He sat down to rest, and where two nights He reposed 
upon the ground. I expected to find Him perished, but 
each day I discovered His progressing footsteps and fol- 
lowed them. As I now drew near Him, I heard Him 
groan in spirit, and He seemed to be borne down to the 
earth by some mortal agony. He was, as it were, talk- 
ing to some invisible evil beings who assailed Him. 

“ Babbi ! good Master, I said, I have brought thee 
food and water. Pardon me if I have intruded upon 
thy awful loneliness, which is sacred to some deep grief ; 
but I weep with thee for thy woes, and in all thy 
afflictions I am afflicted. Eat, that thou mayest have 
strength to endure thy mysterious sufferings. 

“ He turned His pale countenance full upon me, and 
extended towards me His emaciated hands, while He 
smiled faintly, and blessed me and said : 

“ ‘ Son, thou art very dear to me. Thou shalt one day 
be afflicted for me, but not now, and then understand 
wherefore I am now a sufferer in the desert/ 

(i Let me remain with thee, Divine Messias, I said. 

“ ‘ Thou belie vest, then, that I am He ?’ he answered, 
regarding me with love. 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


157 


“ I replied by casting myself at His desert-parched 
feet, and bathing them with my tears. He raised me, 
and said, ‘ Go thy way presently. When the time of 
my fasting and temptation is past, I will see thee again.’ 

“Nay, I will not leave thee, I asserted. 

“ ‘If thou lovest me, beloved, thou wilt obey me,’ he 
answered, with a tone of gentle reproof. . 

“ But thou wilt first eat of the bread I have brought, 
and drink of the water, I entreated. 

“ 1 Thou knowest not what temptation thou art offering 
to me,’ he replied, sadly. ‘ Thou hast not enough for 
thine own needs. Go, and leave me to gain the victory 
over Satan, the Prince of this world, for which I was led 
by the spirit thither !’ 

“ I once more cast myself at his feet, and He lifted me 
up, kissed me, and sent me away. Oh, you would not 
have known him ! Worn and emaciated by long absti- 
nence, weak through suffering, He looked but the shadow 
of himself. He could not have lived thus if there had not 
been a divine power within to sustain him ! His exist- 
ence so long, for He had been in the desert five weeks 
without food, when I found him, was a miracle in itself, 
proving the power of God to be in him !” 

For what mighty work among men is God preparing 
him ?” said Rabbi Amos, with emotion. “ Surely He 
is a Prophet come from God.” 

“ Think you He still lives ?” I asked, with anxious 
fears, scarcely trusting my voice above a whisper. 

“ Yes,” answered John ; “ I am come to tell you He 
was divinely sustained through all ; and after forty days 
He came forth from the wilderness, and suddenly pre- 
sented himself on the banks of Jordan, among John’s 


158 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


disciples. I was standing near the Baptiser, discoursing 
of the Christ, and marvelling when his exile to the 
desert would terminate, when the prophet, lifting up 
his eyes, cried with a loud voice full of joy : 

“ ‘Behold again the Lamb of God, upon whom the 
Spirit of God descended! He hath come from the 
furnace, like gold seven times tried in the fire ! He it 
is who alone taketh away the sins of the world.’ 

“ I turned, and beheld Jesus advancing. He was pale, 
and wore an expression of gentle, uncomplaining suffer- 
ing, on his benign and spiritualized countenance. His 
calm, chastened, dignified aspect, the serene composure 
and peace of his looks, awed me, while they caused me 
to love him. I hastened to meet him, and was kneeling 
in joy at his feet, when He embraced me as a brother, 
and said, ‘ Faithful, and full of love, wilt thou follow 
mo?’ 

“ I will never more leave thee,” I answered. 

“ ‘Where dwellest thou, Divine Master!’ then asked 
one of John’s disciples, Andrew by name, who was 
with me. 

“ ‘ Come, my friends, and see,’ He answered ; and we 
went after Him with joy unutterable. 

“ What passed between him and the Baptizer,” asked 
Rabbi Amos, “ at the river side on this meeting ?” 

“ Not a word. They met and parted like strangers, 
John going away across Jordan into the wilderness, as 
Jesus entered the village of Bethabara ; and, approaching 
the house of a widow, where Fie abode, He went in and 
we followed Him, and by his request took up our abode 
with Him. Oh, how shall I be able to make known by 
words,” added John, “ the sweet expression of his dis* 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


159 


course ? In one day in his presence, I grew wise ; his 
words filled the soul like new wine, and made the heart 
glad. The next day He wished to go into Galilee, and 
so on to Nazareth, where his mother dwelleth ; and as 
I have made up my mind to follow Him as his disciple 
henceforth, I have only come hither to make known my 
purpose to Mary, and to arrange my affairs in the city. 
To-morrow I leave again, to join this, my dear Lord, at 
Cana of Galilee.” 

“Oh, happy, and to he envied, friend and brother,” 
said Lazarus. “ How gladly would I go, also, and 
become one of his disciples ! but the care of my mother 
and sisters cometh upon me, and I must deny myself 
the happiness of -being ever near this divine man, and 
listening to the heavenly wisdom that flows from his lips. 
How blind I have been never to have discovered, under 
his gentle and loving character, and unobtrusive wisdom, 
the Messias. Truly, He was among us, and we knew 
Him not.” 

“ Canst thou divine at all his purpose ?” asked Rabbi 
Amos of John, “ whether He intends to found a school 
of wisdom, to preach like the prophets, to reign like 
David, or to conquer like his warrior namesake, Joshua 1” 

“ I know not, save that He said He came to redeem 
that which was lost, and to establish a kingdom that 
shall have no end !” 

Upon hearing this, all our hearts hounded with hope 
and confidence in him, and we altogether hurst forth 
into a voice of thanksgiving, and sang this hymn of 
praise : 

“ O sing unto the Lord a new song : for He hath done marvellous 
things ; his right hand and his holy arm hath gotten the victory. 


160 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID. 

“ The Lord hath made known his saivation ; his righteousness hath 
He openly shewed in the sight of the heathen. 

“ He hath remembered his mercy and his truth towards the house of 
Israel : all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 

“ Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth : make a loud noise, 
and rejoice, and sing his praise. 

“ Sing unto the Lord with the harp : with the harp, and the voice of 
a psalm. 

“ With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the 
Lord, the King. 

“ Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof ; the world, and they that 
dwell therein. 

“ Let the floods clap their hands ; let the hills be joyful together. 

“ Before the Lord ; for He cometh to judge the earth ; with righteous- 
ness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.” 

There was this morning, dear father, no little excite- 
ment produced among the Chief Priests by a formal 
inquiry sent by Pilate to Caiaphas the High Priest, 
asking whether this new prophet was to be acknowledged 
by them as their Messiah, “ for if he is to be, it will bt 
my duty,” said the Governor, “ to place him undei 
arrest, inasmuch as we understand the Jewish Messias 
is to declare himself king!” Upon this, there was a 
tumultuous assembling together of the Priests in the 
porch of the Temple, and with many invectives they 
agreed to send answer to Pilate that they did not 
acknowledge Jesus of Nazareth to be the Christ. They 
were led to this the more urgently, inasmuch as they 
feared the arrest of Jesus would give the Romans occa- 
sion for arresting other Jews, and so bring on the nation 
great troubles ; just as, a few years ago, when a certain 
impostor rose up and called himself the Christ, the 
Romans were not satisfied with taking and destroying 
him, but they punished with fines every city in Judah. 
Therefore the Priests denied to the Procurator any know- 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


161 


ledge of Jesus, and entreated him not to pay any attention 
to Him, till indeed he should find that he openly took the 
lead of armed men. What Pilate will conclude to do, I 
know not. Rabbi Amos informed us that the Procurator 
had got some news by a courier that morning, that Jesus, 
on his way to Cana, had been followed by full a thou- 
sand people, who, having recognized him as having been 
baptized by John in Jordan, hailed him as the Christ. 

Thus you see, my dear father, that this divine person 
is already taking hold of the hearts of the people, and 
arousing the jealousy of our enemies. Be assured that 
the day will come when He will lift up his standard to 
the Grentiles, and draw all men unto Him. The develop- 
ments of his power are daily taking place ; and although 
He has yet performed no such miracle as would be 
deemed, by you, a test of his divine mission, yet I have 
no doubt that in due time He will give this proof, and 
all other needful manifestations, that He is the Christ 
of God. 

Your loving 

Adina. 


LETTER XIII. 

My Dear Father : 

I have received your last letter by the Cairo merchant, 
Heber, the son of Malchial, and having read it to Rabbi 
Amos, he says, after careful reflection thereupon, that 
he cannot agree with you in your opinion touching the 
undimmed glory of Messiah, viz. : “ that he is to come 


162 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


as a King, and Mighty Leader of Hosts, and reign and 
prosper, and rule the earth, King of the kings of the 
earth.” He desires me to ask you what is meant by 
“ Messias being a man of sorrows and acquainted with 
grief,” as prophesied of him ; and how you interpret, 
dear father, other than as referring to a violent end, the 
words of the wise Daniel, “And after threescore and 
two weeks shall Messiah he cut off, hut not for himself?” 
Uncle also desires me to ask you to examine into the 
time named by Daniel, when Messiah the Prince is to 
come, and take note that we live in the day of the close 
of the threescore and two weeks, whereof the prophet 
write th and saith, “ Know, therefore, and understand, 
that from the going forth of the commandment to restore 
and to build Jerusalem unto Messiah the Prince, shall 
he seven weeks and threescore and two weeks.” Rabbi 
Amos says, the time for the appearing of Christ is verily 
come, as all must confess who read the Prophets ; and 
the only reason that Jesus is not believed to be he, is 
that he comes in poverty and humility, fasting and suf- 
fering. But, my dear father, may it not be ordained 
that the Christ shall come in lowliness and end in power ? 
Oh that you could have the faith in Jesus of Nazareth, 
that He is Messias, that I have, dearest and most honored 
father ! Since I last wrote you, my faith has been con- 
firmed by the testimony which in one of your letters you 
demanded. You said, “ let me hear that he has done 
an authentic miracle in attestation of the divinity of 
his mission — such a miracle as was prophesied Messias 
shall do — as healing the sick by a word, restoring the 
blind to sight, and raising the dead, and I will prepare 
to believe in him.” 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


163 


A miracle He has performed, dear father, and one the 
genuineness of which is not disputed by any one. I can 
give you the particulars best by extracting from a letter 
written by John to Mary, a few days after his departure 
to join Jesus at Nazareth ; for John has joined himself 
to Him, and become his disciple. 

“Upon reaching Nazareth,” says the letter, “ I was 
guided to the humble dwelling occupied by the mother 
of Jesus, by a large concourse of people gathered about 
it, of whom inquiring, I learned that it was to see the 
new prophet they had thus assembled. “ What new 
prophet ?’ I asked, wishing to know what the multitude 
thought of Jesus. 

“ 4 The one whom John of the Wilderness foretold,’ 
answered one. 

“ 4 They say he is Messias,’ replied another. 

“ 4 He is the Christ,’ boldly asserted a third. 

44 Hereupon, a Levite standing by said scornfully, 
4 Does Christ come out of the country of G-alilee ? You 
read the Prophets to little purpose, if you see therein any 
Christ prophesied to come out of Nazareth of Gralilee.’ 
Hereupon, seeing the faith of many staggered, I said, 
4 Brethren, Christ is truly to he of Bethlehem ; and verily 
Jesus, though now he dwelleth in this place, was horn 
in Bethlehem.’ 

44 4 Thou canst not prove it, man,’ said the Levite, 
angrily. 

“ ‘ The stranger speaketh truly,’ spoke up both an old 
man and a gray-haired woman in the crowd ] 4 we know 
that He was not horn here, and that when his parents 
moved hither, when He was an infant, they then said 
He was born in Bethlehem. We all remember this 
well.’ 


164 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


“ Hereupon the Levite, seeing that he had not the 
people with him, passed on his way, while I went to the 
door of the house where Jesus dwelt with his mother. 
There were two doors, one of which led into a work- 
shop, where I noticed the bench and tools of the occu- 
pation at which He had toiled to support himself and 
his mother. This sight made me half question whether 
He, who was an humble artisan, whose working tools 
and shop I saw before me, could in truth be the Christ 
of God, the Prince Messias whom all the patriarchs and 
prophets looked forward to with the eye of faith, desiring 
to see his day ! and it required the recalling of the won- 
derful scenes of his baptism, the Holy Dove and Voice 
of God, and his miraculous preservation in the wilder- 
ness, to revive my assurance ; but when, as I entered 
the dwelling, I saw Him standing, teaching those who 
hung on his lips, and listened to his calm voice, and 
heard the sublime wisdom of his instructions, beheld 
the dignity of his aspect, and felt the heavenly benignity 
of his manner, I forgot the carpenter, I forgot the man, 
ar^ seemed to behold in Him only Messiah the Prince, 
the Son of God. 

“Upon beholding me, He extended his hand, and 
received me graciously, and said, pointing to five men 
who stood near Him, regarding Him with mingled love 
and reverence, ‘ These are thy brethren, who have also 
come out of the world to follow me.’ 

“ Of these, one was Andrew, who had been, as well as 
myself, John's disciple, and both were talking with him 
when Jesus came forth out of the wilderness. Another 
was Andrew’s brother, whose name is Simon, who, hear- 
ing his brother speak of Jesus as the Christ, had gone 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


165 


with him to see Him ; but he had no sooner beheld Him 
than he joined himself to Him ; and Jesus, from the 
firmness and immovable zeal of his character, which He 
seemed to understand, called him also Peter, or Stone. 
The fourth disciple was of Bethsaida, the city of An- 
drew and Peter. His name was Philip, and he followed 
Jesus from having been prepared by John the Baptist to 
receive Him. He was, however, so overjoyed at finding 
the Christ, that he ran to the house of his kinsman 
Nathaniel, and finding him in his garden, beneath a fig- 
tree, at prayer, exclaimed : 

u ‘¥e have found Him of whom Moses in the law 
and the prophets did write, the Messias of God !' 

“ 1 Where is He, that I may behold Him ?’ asked his 
relative rising. 

“ ‘ It is Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph,’ Philip 
answered. 

“ Upon hearing this answer, the countenance of Na- 
thaniel fell, and he replied : 

“ 4 Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth ?’ 

“ ‘ Come thou and see for thyself,’ answered Philip. 

“ Nathaniel then went with him where Jesus was. 
When Jesus saw him approaching, He said to those 
about Him: 

“ ‘ Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no 
guile !’ 

“ ‘ Whence knowest thou me ?’ asked Nathaniel, with 
surprise, for he had heard the words which were spoken. 
Jesus answered, and said : 

« ‘ 1 Before Philip called thee, when thou wast under 
the fig-tree, I saw thee.’ 

“ Upon hearing this, Nathaniel, who knew that he 


166 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


was all alone in his garden and unseen at prayer, when 
his brother came, regarded the serene face of Jesus 
steadfastly, and then, as if he beheld therein the expres- 
sion of omnipresence, he cried before all the people : 

“ £ Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God ! Thou art the 
King of Israel !’ 

“ Jesus looked upon him as if pleased at his confes- 
sion, and said : x 

“ 1 Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig- 
tree, believest thou ? Thou shalt see greater things 
than these. Verily, verily, I say unto you, hereafter ye 
shall see Heaven open, and the angels of God ascending 
and descending upon the Son of Man.’ 

“ These four, Andrew and Peter, Philip and Nathaniel, 
were then present in the house with Him ; and, to my 
surprise and joy, with them stood my own brother 
James, whom Jesus had seen on the lake in his boat, 
and called him, when James left all and followed Him. 
Thus we were six disciples in all, bound to Him by ties 
of confidence and love. The mother of Jesus, a noble 
and matronly woman, still beautiful, and with a face of 
the holiest serenity, was present, and gazed with pride 
and tenderness upon her Son, listening to his words, as 
if she also would learn of Him that wisdom which hath 
descended upon Him from above. The next day James 
and I went to the sea of Tiberias, but two hours distant, 
to see our father Zebedee, and transfer our interests to 
him ; and, during the afternoon, Jesus passed near the 
shore on his way to Cana, when, calling us, we forever 
left our ships and our father and joined Him. His 
mother, and many of her kinsfolk were of the company, 
all going to a marriage of the cousin of the family. 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


167 


Upon our arrival at Cana, we were ushered into the 
guest-chamber, and Jesus in particular, was received 
with marked respect by the Hebrew master of the house, 
though he was an officer in the service of the Romans. 
We here met Elizabeth, the mother of John the Bap- 
tizer, who is a relative of Mary, the mother of Jesus. 
The meeting between these two blessed women was 
very touching. 

“ ‘ Ah,’ said the mother of John the prophet, as she 
looked upon Jesus, who was talking with the governor 
of the feast, ‘ How blessed art thou, 0 Mary, to have 
thy son ever with thee ! while I am a mother, and yet 
no mother. The son whom God gave me He hath taken 
from me to be his prophet, and he is to me as if he 
were dead ! Since his twelfth year he has been a dwel- 
ler in the wilderness, knowing no man, until six months 
ago he came forth to proclaim, according to the word of 
the Lord, the advent of thy holy Son !’ 

“ The marriage feast at length commenced. The 
wine which should have come from Damascus, had not 
arrived, the caravan having been delayed by the insur- 
rection near Cesarea. The guests had therefore but 
little wine, and the chief ruler of the town presiding at 
the feast, seeing that the wine had given cut, bade the 
servants to place more upon the board. The mother of 
Jesus, who knew that the wine was out, turning to 
Him, said, 1 They have no wine!’ for it seems that she 
knew of the mighty power that was within Him, though 
He had not yet manifested it openly. I sat next to Him, 
and heard her when she whispered to Jesus. The holy 
Prophet of God looked grave, and said, with a sliglxt tone 
of respectful reproof, and applying to her that title which 


168 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID- 


we in Judea believe most honorable of all others, 4 Wo- 
man,’ he said to this purport, 4 what have I to do with 
thy private requests for the exercise of my power? 
Thou desirest me to perform a miracle before this noble 
company, that they may behold it and believe on me. 
Mine hour for manifesting my glory to the world is not 
yet come ; nevertheless, affectionate, in obedience to thy 
wish, my honored mother, I will do what I perceive thou 
desirest me to do.’ 

44 She then thanked him \Vith deep and grateful emo- 
tion, and turning to the servants, beckoned to them, 
while her cheek borrowed a rich color from her hidden 
joy, and her eyes kindled with the feelings of a mother 
about to see her son display powers such as only come 
by the gift of Grod, and which were to seal Him as a 
mighty Prophet, before the eyes of Jew and Grentile. 
For myself, not anticipating, or suspecting what was to 
take place, I regarded the nervous emotions of the joyful 
mother with marvel. When two or three of the servants 
had approached, she said to them : 

44 4 Whatsoever He saith to you, do it.’ 

14 They then fixed their regards upon the Prophet, 
awaiting his commands, as little suspecting what they 
would be as I did. The face of Jesus, ever calm and 
dignified, now seemed to assume a look of majesty inex- 
pressible, and his eyes to express a certain conscious- 
ness of power within, that awed me. Casting his glance 
upon several stone vases, which stood by the door empty, 
He said to the servants : 

44 4 Fill the water-pots with water.’ 

44 In the court, in full sight from the table, was a well, 
to which the servants forthwith went with jars, which I 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


169 


saw them fill with water, hear it in upon their heads, and 
pour it out into the water-pots, until they had filled 
them all, six in number, to the brim. While this was 
going on, the governor of the feast was relating to the 
guests, and fixing their attention, as well as his own, 
how that Herod and Pontius Pilate had recently become 
enemies, because the latter, on his way from Cesarea 
Philippi to Jerusalem, in order to be present with his 
forces during the weeks of the Passover, having come to 
a caravanserai, at night, which was occupied by Herod 
and his body-guard, turned the latter all out to make 
room for his own retinue, saying that a Roman Procu- 
rator was more honorable than a Jewish Tetrarch of 
G-alilee. 1 It will be long,’ added the governor, as the 
last water-pot was filled, 6 before this quarrel will be 
made up between them. But we talk, my friends, and 
forget our wine.’ 

“ 1 Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the 
feast,’ said Jesus to the servants. 

“ They obeyed, and pouring rich, blood-red wine from 
the jars which I and others had seen filled up with 
simple water Rom the well, the amazed servants bore it 
to the chief of the feast. He had no sooner filled his 
goblet and tasted it, than he called to the bridegroom, 
who sat in the middle of the table, and said : 

“ c Every man at the beginning doth set forth good 
wine, and when men have well drunk, then that which 
is worse, but thou hast kept the good wine until now.’ 

“‘Who hath brought this wine?’ asked the bride- 
groom, drinking of the water that was made wine, 
4 Whence it came, sir, I know not.’ 

“ Then the servants and others told that they had 
8 


170 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


filled the six water-pots with water to the "brim, at the 
command of Jesus, the Prophet, and that when they 
drew out, behold it flowed forth wine instead of water ! 
Upon this there was a general exclamation of surprise ; 
and the governor of the feast crying out, 1 A great pro- 
phet indeed hath been among us, and we knew it not,’ 
rose to approach and do honor to Jesus ; hut he had 
already conveyed himself away, at once rising and pass- 
ing out through the door, and seeking the solitude of 
the gardens. Thither I followed Him, and worshiping 
Him, sat at his feet and listened while he unfolded to 
me wonderful things concerning himself, showing that 
He is truly the Son of (xod and the very Christ. But 
these things I cannot speak to thee of now, for I do not 
clearly understand all that He is to he, save that I know 
He is destined to suffer, and to he exalted. Doubt not,” 
concludes the letter to Mary, “ doubt not that Jesus is 
the Christ. His miracle at Cana, of turning water into 
wine, is a public displaj^ of his divine power. All men 
at the feast have believed on Him, and his fame is 
spreading abroad throughout (Galilee and Samaria. He 
has told me privately that He must soon visit Jerusa- 
lem, and He will there openly proclaim his mission as 
the Christ of G-od.” 

In this manner, my dear father, writes the betrothed 
husband of my cousin Mary ; and I have given you the 
above extract from his letter, in order that you may see 
that Jesus is already attracting great attention, that He 
has disciples, and that He is, by no means, poor , who 
has the power to convert wells of water into wine ! 
From this letter you must perceive that Jesus is at least 
a prophet equal to Elijah, who kept full the cruse of the 


OR, TEHEE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


171 


widow of Zarephath. If, therefore, yon acknowledge 
this much, you must confess that he is a good man. 
Now, a good man will not deceive. Yet Jesus hath 
plainly said to John, ‘that He is the Christ!’ How, 
then, my dear father, can any one deny, who believes 
Him to he a prophet, that He is even more than a pro- 
phet, even TVtessias ? Pardon your daughter for thus 
presuming to reason with you ; hut I am so earnest that 
you should believe, that I sometimes forget the daughter 
in the disciple of Jesus. As for my uncle, the good and 
learned Rabbi Amos, he is more than half his disciple ; 
and I have no doubt that when Jesus shall present him- 
self in Jerusalem, and he can see Him, and hear his 
divine teachings, he will cast off all prejudice, and be- 
come his open follower. 

The rumor of the miracle at Cana has reached Jerusa- 
lem since I began this letter, and I hear that it has 
produced no little excitement in the market-places and 
courts of the Temple. Rabbi Amos, on his return from 
sacrifice, a few minutes ago, said that he saw, in the 
Court of the Temple, more than thirty priests with rolls 
of the Prophets in their hands, engaged in looking up 
the prophecies of the Christ. So, my dear father, you 
see that the young man “ who came,” as you remarked, 
“no one knew whence, and went, no one knew whither,” 
is already taking hold of the attention of Israel, and stir- 
ring up the minds of all men to investigate his claims 
to being the Christ. 

Your affectionate daughter, 

Adina. 


172 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAYID: 


LETTER X I Y. 

My Dear Father : 

Yon will not require the testimony of my letters to 
enable yon to appreciate the fame of the wonderful 
young man of Nazareth, Jesus, who is daily proving 
himself a prophet indeed , and mighty before God, show- 
ing all the people that Grod is with Him. Not a stran- 
ger cometh into Jerusalem who does not bring report of 
some new miracle that He hath done, some wonderful 
manifestation of his power. He still delays coming to 
Jerusalem, but is engaged in preaching the coming of 
the kingdom of David and of God on earth, teaching in 
the synagogues, and showing from the Prophets that He 
is truly the Messias. His fame for wisdom, for know- 
ledge of the Scriptures, for power to teach, and for 
miracles, has gone abroad through all Syria, so that they 
bring to Him sick persons, both rich and poor, even from 
Damascus, to be healed of Him ; and He heals all who 
are brought unto Him, whether possessed of devils, 
lunatic, or having the palsy. His footsteps are attended 
by thousands wheresoever He goes, and even the Gov- 
ernor of Philippi, descending by the way-side from his 
chariot, hath mingled in the throng, and kneeling at 
his feet, asked the health of his son, who was palsied ; 
and his son was healed by Him by a word, though many 
leagues distant. While I now write, a company is pass- 


OR. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


173 


ing the open window, hearing upon beds two wealthy 
men of Jerusalem, given over by their physicians, who 
are going to Him to he cured ; for all Jerusalem talks 
of nothing else than the wonderful miracles of Jesus. 
There was a man who wove baskets, who has occupied 
a stall opposite our house for many years. He had lost 
entirely the hse of his legs, for twelve years, and had to 
he carried to and fro. Hearing of the fame of Jesus, he 
was seized with a strong desire to have Him perform a 
miracle upon him. For this purpose he begged money 
from the priests, as they went by to the Temple, hut 
though some gave, all laughed, saying that he could not 
he cured, inasmuch as one of his limbs was withered. 
But the man had faith, and having begged silver enough 
for his journey from the benevolent, hired two men to 
convey him five days’ journey into Galilee. Lo ! at the 
end of three weeks he returned, walking upright, and 
well in body and limbs ! All the city flocked to behold 
him ; and he related how, that when he had reached 
Capernaum, where Jesus was, the crowd was so great 
that his bearers could not for some time get near Him. 
At length Jesus moved on, healing the files of sick as 
He passed through them by a word. “ Seeing me,” 
narrates the man, “ He fixed his eyes upon me, and 
said, calling me by name : 

“ 1 Great is thy faith. As thou hast believed, be it 
done unto thee.’ 

“ Immediately my legs and ankle-bones received 
strength ; I leaped from the litter to the ground, and 
found that I was wholly free from pain or disease, and 
my shrunken limb restored as sound as the other. I 
would have fallen at his feet in ecstasy of joy, but the 


174 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


crowds which pressed Him separated me from the sight 
of Him. But I filled the air with shouts of rejoicing and 
hallelujahs to the Son of David !” 

This man, my dear father, I now see daily, moving 
about sound in limb and health ; but this one instance is 
but one of a thousand. John, who follows Jesus every- 
where he goes, and is a witness of all that* He does and 
teaches, writes to Mary, that “ the sick and afflicted 
from all parts of the land of Galilee, from Decapolis, from 
Jerusalem, from beyond Jordan, even from Lesser Asia, 
come to Him. When my beloved master,” he writes, 
“ comes forth from a synagogue, where He has been read- 
ing the Prophets to the people, who hear him gladly, I 
have beheld two hundred persons, the lame, the palsied, 
the withered, the blind, the possessed of devils, and per- 
sons afflicted with all manner of diseases, laid in rows 
before the gate of the synagogue, awaiting his coming 
forth. Those who bore or held them were standing in 
eager expectant groups near them. It was a painful, yet 
sublime spectacle, to behold the hollow eyes of those 
wretched sufferers turned towards the door as the peo- 
ple came running forth, shouting, i He comes ! He 
comes !’ The writhing torments of the possessed with 
devils ceased for the moment, and groans gave way to 
expecting silence. Jesus at length appears, and upon 
seeing his face, that ever expresses holy benignity and 
innate power, all set up touching cries of the most thril- 
ling appeal for his aid, and such appeals are never ut- 
tered in vain. G-oing through the rows of beds and lit- 
ters, He lays his hand upon some, speaks a word to 
others, touches the eyes of the blind and the ears of the 
deaf, places his hand gently on the head of the lunatic, 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 175 

and commands in tones of authority the devils to leave 
the bodies of the possessed. And what is extraordinary,” 
continues John, “ the devils always conduct with more 
terrific violence as He draws near, and while they leave 
the possessed with curses, they confess loudly that Jesus 
is ‘ the Son of David — the Son of Grod !’ and implore 
Him, in the most abject manner, not utterly to destroy 
them ! So great is the multitude which 'everywhere 
follows Him, that He is often compelled to withdraw 
from them by stealth, to get to some by-place of quiet 
where He can refresh his wearied strength for a few 
days. At such times we, w T ho are his immediate fol- 
lowers, have the benefit of his teaching and private in- 
structions. But He cannot remain long away from the 
people. They soon penetrate his retirement, and He 
never can refuse their appeals to his miraculous powers 
to do them good. How wonderful is He who thus holds 
in his hands divine power ! The authority of kings is 
nothing before that which He possesses in his voice ; 
yet He is serene, humble, oh, how humble ! to our 
shame ; and always calm and gentle. He spends much 
time in private prayer to Grod, whom He always ad- 
dresses as his Father. Never was such a man on earth. 
"We, who know Him most intimately, stand most in awe 
of Him ; yet with our deep reverence for his holy char- 
acter is combined the purest affection. In one and the 
same breath I feel that I adore Him as my Lord, and 
love Him even as my brother. So we all feel towards 
Him. His engaging manners, his patience with our 
ignorance, his forbearance with our grossness, his 
ready excuses for us when we are in fault, ere we have 
time to exculpate ourselves, all have bound us to Him 


176 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


with ties that can never he sundered. When I next 
write to you,” continues John, “ I will relate to you, so 
far as they are understood hy me and my fellow-disci- 
ples, the things which He reveals respecting himselt 
and the object of his mission on earth. Many things, 
however, are not comprehended hy us, hut He promises 
that we shall hy and hy understand what now appears 
obscure to us.” 

Such, my dear father, is the tenor of the letters which 
my cousin Mary receives from John, the disciple of Je- 
sus. They are all filled with accounts of his miracles, 
of his teachings, and of his journey ings. When we shall 
see Jesus at Jerusalem, I shall he able from personal 
observation to write to you more particularly concerning 
his doctrines and miracles. That He is Christ, thou- 
sands now believe ; for they ask, very naturally, how 
could He do these things unless God were with Him ? 
What is also of importance, it has been proven by the 
results of the examination made by some of the scribes 
of the Temple, that He was truly born in Bethlehem, 
and that both his mother Mary, and Joseph her husband, 
are lineal descendants of the house of David. Moreover, 
Phineas, the venerable priest, whom you know, hath 
borne testimony to the fact, that when Jesus was an in- 
fant, during the reign of the elder Herod, there arrived 
in Jerusalem three eminent princes, men of wisdom and 
learning. One of these came from Persia ; one from the 
Grecian province of Media ; and one from Arabia, and 
brought with them gifts of gold and spices, and were 
attended by retinues. These three princes reached Je- 
rusalem the same day by three different ways, and. en- 
tered by three different gates, each unknowing to the 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


177 


other’s presence or object till they met in the city before 
Herod’s palace. One represented himself descended 
from Shem, another from Japhet, the third from Ham ! 
And they mysteriously, it is said, typified all the races 
of the earth who by them recognized and adored the Sa- 
viour of men in the child Jesus. The king hearing 
that these three strangers had arrived in Jerusalem, 
sent to know wherefore they had honored his kingdom 
with a visit. “ They answered,” says Phineas, as he 
yesterday related the narrative in the presence of Cai- 
aphas, and many of the rulers and Pharisees, ‘that they 
came to do homage to the young Prince, who w’as born 
king of the Jews.’ And when Herod asked what prince 
they spoke of, they answered, ‘ we have seen his star in 
the East, and are come to worship Him !’ 

u 1 How know you the star you have seen indicates 
the birth of a Prince of Judea ?’ demanded King Herod, 
greatly troubled at what he heard. 

“ 4 It had a motion towards this city,’ they answered, 
‘ and we have been led by a heavenly impulse to follow 
it, and lo ! it has led us to Jerusalem, over which, were 
it now night, you would see it suspended, burning with 
the glory of a planet ; and it hath been revealed to us 
that it is the star of the birth of one who is to reign 
King of Judah ! Tell us, therefore, oh king, where this 
august Prince is now to be found, that we may worship 
Him !’ 

“ Hereupon,” says Phineas, “ the king issued an edict 
for all the chief priests and scribes of the people to as- 
semble in the council chamber of his palace. He then 
addressed them : 

“ < Ye to whom is given the care of the Books of the 
8 * 


178 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


Law and of the Prophets, whose study they are, and in 
whom lies the skill to interpret the prophecies, search 
therein, and tell me truly where the Christ is to he horn. 
Behold here present these august and wise men who 
have come from afar to do him homage ; nay more, as 
they aver, to worship him as God. Let us have the 
courtesy to give them the answer that they seek, and 
let us not he found more ignorant of these things than 
those who dwell in other lands !’ 

“ Several of the chief priests then rose and said : 1 It 
is known, oh king, to all who are Jews, and who read 
the Prophets, that Messias cometh of the house of David, 
of the town of Bethlehem : for thus- it is written by the 
Prophet: “And thou, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, 
art not least among the Princes of Judah, for out of 
thee shall come a Governor that shall rule my people, 
Israel !” ’ 

“ This question being thus decided,” continued Phi- 
neas, “ Herod dismissed the council, and retiring to his 
own private room, secretly sent to the three princes of 
the East to inquire of them W'hat time the star appeared. 
And when they had named the very day and hour on 
which they had first seen it, he was thereby enabled to 
arrive at the probable age of the infant. He then said 
to them : 

“ 1 You have my permission, noble strangers, to go to 
Bethlehem, and search for the young child ; and when 
ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may 
come and worship him also ; for it is but meet that we 
should pay all possible honors to a Prince of our realm, 
whose birth is heralded in so unusual a manner, and to 
worship whom even the East sends forth her wise men.’ 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


179 


They then left the presence of Herod, and it being dark 
when they left the palace, they were overjoyed to behold 
the star which they saw in the East, going before them. 
They followed it until it left Jerusalem by the Bethlehem 
gate, and it led them on to the town of Bethlehem, and 
stopped above an humble dwelling therein. When they 
were come into the house, they saw the rays of the star 
resting upon the head of an infant in the arms of its 
mother Mary, the wife of Joseph. They at once acknow- 
ledged and hailed Him as Prince and King of Israel, and 
falling down, worshipped Him ; and opening their trea- 
sures, they presented unto Him gold, frankincense, and 
myrrh, gifts that are offered on the altar to God alone !” 

When Phineas was asked by Caiaphas how he knew 
this fact, he answered, that he, himself, prompted by 
curiosity to see the Prince they had come to worship, 
had followed them out of the palace of Herod, out of the 
gate, and even into Bethlehem, and witnessed their 
prostrations and offerings to the infant child of Mary. 
u And,” he added, “ if this be doubted, there are many 
Jews now living in Jerusalem, and a certain Hebrew 
captain, now stricken in years, who can testify to the 
slaughter, by Herod’s command, of the infants of Beth- 
lehem ; for this captain Jeremias led on the soldiers.” 

“ And wherefore this slaughter ?” asked Caiaphas. 
“ It is not on record.” 

“ Kings do not record their deeds of violence,” an- 
swered Phineas. “ Herod kept it hushed up when he 
found that he gained nothing by it but hatred. He slew 
them in order that the infant Jesus might be destroyed 
among them ; for the three wise men, instead of return- 
ing through Jerusalem to their o\yn country, and in- 


180 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


forming him where they had found the child, departed 
by another way; and when Herod. found that they were 
gone, he became so highly enraged, that he sent out a 
party of his household guard, under Jeremias, their cap- 
tain, who now liveth to testify, ordering them to slay 
every child under two years of age in Bethlehem, hoping, 
as I have said, to kill the infant Jesus among the num- 
ber. But the child escaped, doubtless by (rod’s power- 
ful protection ; and his fame in his manhood this day 
fills the ears of all Israel. The adoration of these three 
men, who were the sons of Shem, Ham, and Japhet, 
clearly represents the homage of the whole race of man- 
kind that shall yet be paid to him, if he be the Christ 
Messias !” 

“ Dost thou believe in him also ?” asked Caiaphas, 
with angry surprise, looking sternly on Phineas. 

“ I will first see, and hear him speak ; and if he be 
proven to me to be Messias, I will gladly worship him.” 

“ Hereupon,” sakHBabbi Amos, who gave me the de- 
tails of the foregoing interview between Caiaphas and 
Phineas, “there arose a great uproar, some crying that 
Jesus was the Christ, and others, that Phineas should be 
stoned to death.” 

Thus you see, my dear father, how the evidence in- 
creases in value and importance, proving Jesus to be the 
Messiah. Lo ! his very cradle bears testimony to his 
divine character ; and surely do his miracles now con- 
firm the pledge given by the remarkable circumstances 
attending his childhood. The captain Jeremias, now a 
gray-headed old soldier, having been called upon, testi- 
fies that he obeyed such an order of Herod, and that it 
was given within three days after the three Princes of 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


181 


the East quitted Jerusalem for Bethlehem. Now, my 
dear father, let me sum up the evidences that go to 
show that Jesus is the Messiah. First, his presentation 
in the Temple, when holy Simeon and Anna worshipped 
and prophesied of Him ! Secondly, the supernatural 
star which led the wise men to Bethlehem ! Thirdly, 
adoration of Him in his cradle! Fourthly, the testi- 
mony of John the Baptist ! Fifthly, the voice of G-od at 
his baptism ! Sixthly, the descent of the Holy Ghost 
upon Him in the form of a fiery dove ! Seventhly, his 
miracle at Cana of Galilee ! And lastly, the glittering 
coronet of miracles that now encircles his brow, shed- 
ding a light and glory upon his path which it blinds 
and dazzles the eye steadfastly to behold. Tell me, 
dear father, is not this the Christ ? 

Your affectionate and loving 

Adina. 


LETTER XV. 

My Dear Father : 

The inquiry you made in your last letter, “ What 
hath become of the Prophet of Jordan, since the fame 
of Jesus hath so far eclipsed his own ?” I can answer, 
hut with sadness. Your inquiry seems to infer that he 
would feel envious of the power and the miracles that 
distinguish his successor. But on the contrary, John 
always plainly declared in his preaching, that “ he was 
not worthy to unloose the shoe latchet of Him who was 
to come after him and he distinctly said many times 
to all, that “ He to whom I hear witness must increase, 


182 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF 1)AYID: 


but I must decrease!” The mission on which John 
came terminated when Jesus came. Soon afterwards, 
he left the wilderness and entered Jericho, where Herod 
chanced then to be visiting. Here he preached in the 
public places, and in the market, and on the very steps 
of the Governor’s palace, that God’s judgments were 
coming upon the earth, and that men must, by repent- 
ance, appease His wrath ; and that the Christ would be 
the Judge of men! How while he was thus speaking 
to the people, and the officers and soldiers of the Te- 
trarch’s guard, Herod himself came forth upon the bal- 
cony to listen, for he had heard in Galilee much of 
John, and had long a desire to hear him. The prophet 
no sooner beheld him, than he boldly addressed him, and 
sternly reproved him for the sin of having married the 
wife of his brother Philip, contrary to the law. Now 
Herod, it is said, did not show resentment at his plain 
dealing, but inviting the prophet into his hall talked 
much with him, and in parting offered him gifts, which 
John refused to touch. The next day he sent for him 
again to ask him some questions touching the Messias of 
whom he preached. Now Herodia, when it was reported 
to her, after the return of Herod from Jericho to his 
Tetrarchy, how that the prophet had publicly spoken 
against her marriage with Herod, became very angry ; 
and when she found that John was still favored by her 
husband, she sent for Herod, and said, “that if he would 
please her he must throw the prophet of Jordan into 
prison.” Herod would have excused him, asserting that 
he was a man of God ; but Herodia only the more vehe- 
mently insisted that he should be cast into prison. At 
length Herod yielded, against his own will, and gave 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


183 


orders for the arrest of the prophet; who, the same 
night, was thrown into the ward of the castle. When 
this intelligence reached the followers of John, it created 
great sorrow ; and many went to see him and talk with 
him. But he told them they must think of him no 
longer ; that his brief life was drawing to its close ; hut 
that they must turn their eyes towards the Christ, the 
Sun of Righteousness, whose rising was unto an ever- 
lasting day. “ Said I not unto ye,” he asked of them, 
“ He must increase and I must decrease ?” For some 
weeks this holy man, whose only offence was that he 
had the courage to reprove sin in high places,^ remained 
in bonds, while Herod each day sought to find some 
excuse for releasing him without displeasing Herodia, 
of whose anger he stood in great fear, being an abject 
slave to his love for her. At length the birthday of 
Herod arrived, and he conveyed word to John that in 
honor of the day he would send and fetch him out of 
prison, so soon as he should obtain the consent of his 
wife, which he believed she would accord to him on such 
an anniversary. 

Now, after the feast, Philippa, the daughter of He- 
rodia and of her former husband Philip, came in and 
danced before prince Herod ; and being beautiful in per- 
son and full of grace in every motion, she so pleased her 
step-father that he made a great oath, having drunk 
much wine with his guests, that he would give her 
whatsoever she would ask, were it the half of his king- 
dom. Her mother then called her, and whispered to her 
imperatively. 

“ Give me,” said the maiden, turning towards Herod 
with the demand her mother had commanded her to 
make, “the head, now, of John Baptist in a charger.” 


184 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID. 


The Tetrarch no sooner heard this request than he 
turned pale, and said, fiercely : 

“ Thy mother hath been tampering with thine ears, 
girl.” Herodia, however, betrayed no confusion, but sat 
unconcerned. Herod, it is said by those who were pre- 
sent, hesitated a long time, and at length said: “ Ask 
half of my kingdom and I will give it thee ; but let me 
not shed blood on my birthday.” 

“Wilt thou falsify thine oath?” asked his wife, 
scornfully. 

“ For mine oath’s sake, and for these who have heard 
it, I will grant thy desire,” he at length answered, with 
a sigh of regret and self-reproach. He then turned to 
the captain of the guard, and commanded him to slay 
John Baptist in prison, and bring presently there his 
head upon a charger. 

At the end of a quarter of an hour, which was passed 
by Herod in great excitement, walking up and down the 
floor, and by his guests in silent expectation, the door 
opened, and the captain of the guard entered, followed 
by the executioner, who carried a brazen platter upon 
which lay the gory head of the eloquent forerunner of 
Christ. 

“Give it to her!” cried Herod, sternly, waving him 
towards the beautiful, but cruel and heartless maiden, 
who stood near the inner door. The executioner placed 
the charger in her hands ; and, without turning pale, 
but with a smile of triumph, she bore it to her mother, 
who had retired to an inner chamber. It is said, that 
no sooner did she behold it, than she spat in the face, 
and setting it up before her, reviled it. His disciples, 
when they heard of his death, came to Herod, and asked 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


185 


the body of John, and taking it away, buried it ; but 
when they would have asked the head also of Herodia, 
she answered, “that she had given it to her dogs to 
devour !” So terrible can be the revenge of a woman 
who fears not Grod ! 

'All the disciples of the murdered prophet then went 
where Jesus was preaching and healing, and told Him 
what had been done to John. “ When Jesus heard of 
the death of John, He was very sorrowful,” writes John, 
his disciple, to Mary, “ and went away into a desert 
place apart, in order to mourn over the fate of his bold 
and holy forerunner.” In the meanwhile, the disciples 
of John Baptist, believing that the murder of their pro- 
phet was but the first blow of a general slaughter, fled, 
some into the deserts, while others sought Jesus to pro- 
tect and counsel them. At length He found himself 
surrounded by a great multitude, who had fled from the 
cities, chiefly of John’s disciples, besides many who had 
come to hear Him preach, and be healed of Him. The 
place was a desert, and far from any town. Forgetful 
of all else, save following Jesus, they were without food. 
“ Which,” says John, writing to Rabbi AmoS, “ we who 
were his disciples seeing, suggested that Jesus should 
send them away to the villages to buy themselves 
victuals. But Jesus answered Us, and said quietly : 

“ They need not go away — give ye them to eat.’ 

“And Simon said, ‘Master, where can we get bread 
for so many ? There is verily here an army to be fed, 
and we have among us but five loaves and two small 
fishes.’ Upon hearing this, Jesus said, ‘ It is enough ; 
bring them hither to me.’ 

“ We collected the bread and fishes, and I, myself, 


186 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


laid them upon a rock before Jesus. He then said to 
us, ‘ Command the multitude to sit down on the grass.’ 
And when they were all seated, He took the five loaves, 
and laying his hands upon them and upon the two 
fishes, He looked up to Heaven and blessed them ; and 
then breaking them into fragments, He gave them to 
us his disciples, and bade us distribute to the people. 
As often as we would return for more, we found the 
loaves and the fishes undiminished, and I saw with won- 
der how, when this Prophet of God would break off a 
piece of one of the fishes, or of a loaf, the same part 
would immediately be seen thereon as if it had not been 
separated ; and in this manner He continued to break 
and distribute to us for nearly an hour, until all ate as 
much as they would, and were filled ; and when no one 
demanded more, and He ceased to break, He commanded 
us to gather up the fragments which lay by his side, 
which he had piled up about him as rapidly as he broke 
them off, and there were twelve baskets full over and 
above what was needed. The number that were thus 
miraculously fed was about five thousand men, besides 
nearly an equal number of women and children. And 
this mighty Prophet, who could thus feed an army, 
voluntarily suffered forty days and nights the pangs of 
hunger in the desert ! He seems a man in suffering, a 
God in creating !” 

This wonderful miracle, my dear father, is one that 
has too many witnesses to be denied. He who could 
miraculously feed five thousand, could feed all men! 
Must not He, then, who could feed all mankind, be 
divine ? Surely, this must be the Son of God ! If I 
should mention to you all the miracles which have been 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


187 


done by Him, I should fill many letters. Not a day 
passes that we do not hear of some still more extraordi- 
nary exhibition of his power than the preceding. Every 
morning, when men meet in the market places, or in 
the corridors of the Temple, the first inquiry is, “What 
new wonder has He performed ? Have you heard of 
another miracle of this mighty prophet? Indeed, so 
great is the interest here felt to see Jesus, and witness 
his miracles, that where one went to hear John preach 
in the wilderness of Jordan, ten go to see Christ in Gali- 
lee. The priests alone are offended, and speak evil of 
Him through envy. They complain that He draws off 
peop^ from the sacrifices ; that He is preaching another 
law than that of Moses ; that He eats with sinners ; 
that He enters the houses of Samaritans ; and that He 
loveth Galilee rather than Jerusalem, which they con- 
tend, is an evidence that He is not the Christ who was 
“ to come to the Temple and send forth his law from 
Jerusalem.” 

They even have gone so far as to assert that He per- 
forms his miracles by magic, or by the aid of Beelzebub, 
the Prince of the devils. “If we suffer Him to take 
men’s minds as he doth,” said Caiaphas to ftabbi Amos 
yesterday, when he heard that Jesus had walked on the 
sea to join his disciples in their ship, and stilled a tem- 
pest with a word, “ the worship in the Temple will be 
at an end, and the sacrifice will cease. He draweth all 
men unto Him.” 

Herod having, as I have said, slain John, and hearing 
directly after of the fame of Jesus, said to Herodia : 
“ This is John Baptist risen from the dead, and therefore 
do mighty works show forth themselves in him.” 


188 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


“ If he rise from the dead threescore and ten times, I 
will as many times have his head,” answered Herodia ; 
whereupon Herod privately sent to Jesus, supposing Him 
to he John Baptist, to keep in the parts of G-alilee where 
He was. The Levites and Scribes of the city contend 
that He is Elias, who it is prophesied must come and 
restore all things before Shiloh come. Others believe 
that He is Isaiah, or Jeremiah, raised from the dead ; 
and some say one thing, and t»thers another thing. They 
are willing to believe Jesus to be everything but that 
which He is, viz. : the true Christ and the Son of the 
Highest. 

You have asked, dear father, in your letter, “^JVliere 
is Elias, who is to precede Messias, according to the 
prophet Malachi?” This question Jesus himself has 
answered, says John, when a Rabbi put it to Him. He 
replied thus : 

“ Elias has come already, and ye have done unto him 
whatsoever ye listed.” 

“Dost thou speak of John the Baptist?” asked those 
about Him, when they heard this. 

“ John came in the spirit and power of Elias, and 
therefore was he thus called by the prophet,” was the 
answer of Jesus. 

I have written to you mainly of the miracles of Jesus, 
dear father, as being evidences conclusive of his divine 
power and authority to teach and restore Israel. I have 
said little of his teaching, as I have not yet heard Him ; 
but I have heard those who have listened to Him repeat 
much that He has taught them. Such words of wis- 
dom, such pureness of teaching, such holy precepts and 
divine instruction, never before fell from the lips of man 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


189 


Oh, when shall I be so blessed as to hear his voice, and 
hang on the eloquence of his lips? I envy all who 
have heard Him speak. 

I did not tell you that besides the six disciples whom 
[ have named, he has chosen six others, which twelve 
he keeps, near his person as his more favored followers, 
and whom He daily instructs in the doctrines He came 
down from Heaven to teach. Of the thousands who 
never weary going from place to place in his train, ho 
has also selected seventy men, whom He has dispatched 
by twos into every city and village of Judea, command- 
ing them to proclaim the kingdom of God as at hand, 
and that the time when men everywhere should repent 
and turn to God, had come. 

Thus you see, my dear father, that the solitary and 
unknown young man, who was baptized hardly a year 
since in Jordan, is now wielding more influence in the 
land than the Roman Procurator Pilate, or Herod. Nay, 
not many days since, after He had fed another multitude 
by a miracle, the people would have made Him a king 
by force ; but He withdrew from the press, and retired 
ii\to a mountain alone to escape this honor. Therefore, 
dear father, He is no ambitious leader. His kingdom, 
if He is to be a king, is not to be received as the gift of 
men. Yet that He will be a king is as certain as that 
He is the Christ ; for the prophecy says, that Messias 
“ shall sit upon the throne of his father David.” Who 
can look into the future and behold the limit of his 
glory? Already by faith I see Him crowned by the 
same mighty God who proclaimed from Heaven that He 
was his beloved Son, King of kings and Lord of lords ; 
with his throne upon Mount Zion, and the nations of the 


190 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAY1D : 


earth tributary to his sceptre of righteousness, and sub- 
missive to his illimitable dominion. He is the Stone cut 
out of a rock without hands, that shall fill the whole 
earth. 

You may charge me with being enthusiastic, my dear 
father ; but if Jesus be the Christ, earth has no lan- 
guage that can express the splendor of his reign. 

It is now commonly reported that He will be here at 
the Passover. I shall then behold Him, and like the 
wise men, I shall worship Him with mingled awe and 
love. I will again write you, dear father, after I see 
and hear Him. Till then, believe me your affectionate 
daughter, 

Adina. 


LETTER XYI. 

My Dear Father : 

While I write, the city is agitated like a tumultuous 
sea. The loud murmurs of the multitudes in the streets, 
and even in the distant market-place, reach my startled 
ears. A squadron of Roman cavalry has just thundered 
past towards the Temple, where the uproar is greatest ; 
for a rumor of an insurrection begun among the people, 
has come to Pilate the Procurator. But this is no in- 
surrection against the Roman authority, dear father ; 
alas, our people, who were once (rod’s people and the 
masters of the East, are now too servile and submissive 
to their pagan masters, the Romans, to lift up a finger 
to remove their degrading yoke ! Would that it were 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


191 


a movement for the liberties of Jndea ! The occasion 
of the tumult, which seems to increase each mo- 
ment, is an extraordinary act of power on the part 
of the new prophet, Jesus, — that name become, by means 
of my pen, so familiar to you, — a name at which, I can 
say without enthusiasm, every knee will yet bow, both of 
Jew and Grentile ! I will relate to you the circumstances ; 
for this manifestation of power from Him is another proof 
of his divine mission. 

In my last letter, dear father, I stated that it was com- 
monly reported that this wonderful man would be at the 
Passover, and that all men were talking of the approach- 
ing event, and really thinking more of his presence 
here, than of the Feast itself. Nay, it was said that 
many who would not otherwise be in Jerusalem, would 
come hither in order to see Him, and to witness some 
new miracle ; and to-day Rabbi Amos says the number 
of strangers in the city is hitherto unprecedented. 

Yesterday Mary’s cousin, John, returned and came 
unexpectedly into the hall of the fountain, in the rear 
of the house, where we were all seated in the cool of 
the vines, with which Mary’s taste has covered a wall 
of trellis- work. Uncle Amos was in the act of reading 
to us from the Prophet Jeremiah, a prophecy relating 
to the Messias that is to come (nay, that is come, dear 
father), when John appeared. Mary’s blushes welcomed 
him, and showed how dear he was to her. Uncle Amos 
embraced and kissed Jj,im, and seated him by us, and 
called for a servant to bathe his feet, for he was dusty 
and travel-worn. From him we learned that his be- 
loved master, Jesus, had reached Bethany, and was 
reposing from his fatigues at the hospitable, though 


192 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


humble house of Lazarus, Mary and Martha. When 
we heard this, we were all very glad ; and uncle Amos 
particularly seemed to experience the deepest satis- 
faction. 

“ If He come into Jerusalem,” said he warmly, “ He 
shall he my guest. Bid Him to my roof, 0 John, that 
my household may he blessed in having a Prophet of G-od 
step across its threshold.” 

“ Oh, by all means do not forget to ask Him to remain 
through the Passover with us !” exclaimed Mary, earnest- 
ly looking up into the young disciple’s face, and laying 
her hand confidingly upon his wrist. 

“ I will tell my beloved Master thy wish, Rabbi 
Amos,” answered John. “ Doubtless, as He has no 
home nor friends in the city, He will remain under your 
roof.” 

“ Say not no friends !” I exclaimed. “ We are all his 
friends here , and fain would be his disciples.” 

“ What ! Rabbi Amos also ?” cried John, with a 
glance of pleasure and surprise at the venerable Priest of 
God. 

“ Yes, I am ready, after all that I have heard and 
seen, I am ready to confess Him a Prophet sent from 
God.” 

‘ 1 He is far more than a prophet, 0 Rabbi Amos !” an- 
swered John. “ Never prophet did the works Jesus does. 
It seems that all power is at his command. If you wit- 
nessed what I witness daily, as Ue traverses Judea, you 
would say that He was Jehovah descended to earth in 
human form !” 

“ Nay, do not blaspheme, young man,” said Rabbi 
Amos, with some severity of reproof. 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


193 


John bowed his head in reverence to the rebuke of 
the Rabbi, but nevertheless answered respectfully and 
firmly, “ Never man did like Him. If He be not God 
in the flesh, He is an Angel in flesh invested with divine 
power.” 

“ If He be the Messiah,” I said, “He cannot be an 
angel ; for are not the prophecies clear that the Messias 
shall be 1 a man of sorrows V Is He not to be 1 the seed 
of the woman V a man and not an angel ?” 

“ Yes,” answered John, “ you remember well the pro- 
phecies. I firmly believe Jesus to be the Messiah, the 
Son of God. Yet, what He is more than man, what He 
is less than God, is incomprehensible to me and to my fel- 
low-disciples. We wonder, love, and adore ! At one 
moment we feel like embracing Him as a brother dearly 
beloved ; at another, we are ready to fall at his feet and 
worship Him ! I have Been Him weep at beholding the 
miseries of the diseased wretches which were dragged 
into his presence, and then with a touch — with a 
word , heal them ; and they would stand before Him in 
the purity and beauty of health and strong manhood ! 
I have seen Him, with a voice of command, as never 
man spake, expel devils from those who were possessed 
by them ; and I have heard the devils submissively beg 
not to be sent to their own place, but be permitted by 
Him to remain roaming still in the air and on the earth, 
until the hour of their final sentence shall proceed from 
the lips of God. Even the devils are thus subject unto 
Him, so mighty is his power ; and all diseases disappear 
before his eye, like the foul air of the fens before the 
beams of the morning sun !” 

“ And yet,” said Nicodemus, a rich Pharisee, who en- 
9 


194 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID. 


tered as John was first speaking, and listened without 
interrupting,— for it is his wont to come in and out as he 
will, being a friend of my uncle, — “ and yet, young man, 
I heard you say that Jesus, of whom you and all men 
relate such mighty deeds, has remained at Bethany to 
recover from his fatigue. How can a man who holds 
all sickness in his power be subject to mere weari- 
ness of body ? I would say unto him, Physician, heal 
thyself!” 

This was spoken with a tone of incredulity by this 
learned ruler of the Jews ; and, stroking his snowy beard, 
he waited of John a reply ; for like many of the chief 
men, nay, most of them, he was slow to believe all he 
heard of Jesus ; for as yet he had not seen Him ; nor 
would he be likely to visit Him were He to come into 
the city, in order to see for himself, lest his popularity 
among the Jews be diminished ; for he is a man of re- 
markable ambition, and aims one day to be the chief 
ruler of the people ; therefore, though he should really be 
convinced that Jesus is Messias, 1 fear he would not 
have candor enough, for fear of the Jews, to confess 
it. Such is my opinion of my uncle’s friend, the 
rich and powerful Pharisee. John answered him, and 
said : 

u So far as I can learn the character of Jesus, his 
healing power over diseases is not for his own good, but 
for the benefit of the multitude. He uses his power to 
work miracles for the benefit of others through love and 
compassion, and to show forth the divive power in Him. 
His miracles are used solely as proofs of his Messiahship. 
Being a man with this divine power dwelling in Him 
for us , He is subject to infirmities as a man ; He 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


195 


hungers, thirsts, wearies, suffers, as a man. I have 
seen Him heal a nobleman’s son, and restore him to 
strength and activity by a word, and the next moment 
seat himself, supporting his aching head upon his hand, 
looking pale and languid, and without strength ; for 
his labors of love are vast, and He is often overcome 
by them, those who follow Him to be healed not giv- 
ing Him time to repose at night. Once, Simon Peter, 
seeing Him ready to sink with very weariness, after 
healing all day, asked Him and said : 1 Master, thou 
givest strength to others, why suffer thyself, when all 
health and strength are in thee, as in a living well, to be 
weary V , 

“ 1 It is not mine to escape human infirmities by any 
power my Father hath bestowed upon me for the good 
of men. It behooves me to suffer all things. Through 
suffering only can I draw all men after me !’ ” 

John said this so sadly, as if he were repeating the very 
tones in which Jesus had spoken it, that we all remained 
silent for a few moments. I felt tears fill my eyes, and 
I was glad to see that the proud Pharisee, Nicodemus, 
looked moved. After a full minute’s serious pause, he 
said : 

“ This man is doubtless no common prophet. When 
he comes into the city I shall be glad to hear from his 
own mouth his doctrines, and to witness some potent 
miracle.” 

“ Surely,” said Amos, “ if he be in truth a prophet, wo 
ought not to reject him. We ought to examine fairly his 
claims to be sent from G-od to our people.” 

“ Certainly,” answered Nicodemus. “ We Pharisees 
are ready to give him a fair hearing. It would seem that, 


196 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID. 


by coming to Jerusalem from the provinces, where hither- 
to he has been preaching and doing miracles, he means 
to challenge the whole people to acknowledge him as a 
prophet.” 

“ Prophet he is, without doubt,” answered Amos. “It 
is not the question now whether He be a prophet or not ; 
for the hundreds He has healed are living witnesses that 
He has the spirit and power of the Q ld prophets, and is 
truly a prophet. The question Wat remains is, whether 
He be the Messiah, or not ?” 

Nicodemus slowly and negatively shook his head, and 
then answered : 

“ Messias cometh not out of Gralilee.” 

“ He will prove himself the Messias with power,” an- 
swered my cousin John, with zeal. “ When you hear 
Him speak, Rabbi Nicodemus, the grace of his lips and 
the depth of his wisdom will charm you into belief ; 
and without miracles, you will acknowledge that He is 
the Christ.” 

At this moment a sudden, wild, joyful cry from Mary, 
thrilled, our nerves, and, looking towards the door, we 
saw her folded in the arms of a young man whom I had 
never seen before. My surprise had not time to form 
itself into any definite explanation of what I saw, when 
I beheld the young man, who was exceedingly hand- 
some, and the picture of health, after kissing the cling- 
ing Mary upon her cheeks, leave her to throw himself 
into the arms of Rabbi Amos, crying : 

“ My father, my dear father !” 

My uncle, who had stood amazed, and wonderingly 
gazing on him, as if he could not believe what his eyes 
beheld, now burst into profound expressions of grateful 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


197 


joy, and as he clasped the young stranger to his heart, 
fell upon his neck and wept, with scarcely power to 
articulate the words : 

“ My son ! my son ! Lost, hut found again ! This is 
the Lord’s doing, and is marvellous in our eyes.” 

John also embraced the new-comer, while the Euler 
stood silent with wonder. Who the young man was 
whose arrival was producing such emotion, and why he 
should be hailed as a son by my uncle, Amos, I had no 
idea ; and while I was looking bewildered upon the 
scene, Mary ran and said to me, with tears of gladness 
shining in her dark fine eyes : 

“ It is Benjamin, my lost brother, beloved Adina !” 

u I did not know you had a brother,” I answered in 
surprise. 

“ We have long regarded him as dead,” she replied, 
witE mingled emotions. “ Seven years ago he became 
lunatic, and fled to the tombs without the city, where 
he has long dwelt with many others who were possessed 
with devils. For years he has been a madman, and has 
neither spoken to nor known us, and we have tried to 
forget that he lived, since to remember it made us mise- 
rable, without hope of his restoration. But oh, now — 
now behold him ! It seems a vision ! See how manly, 
noble, like himself he is, with the same intelligent and 
smiling eyes.” 

She then flew to take him by the hand and lead him 
towards me, all eyes being fixed upon him, as if he had 
been a spirit*. 

When he saw their wondering gaze, he said : 

“ It is I, both son and brother to those dearest to me 
I am in my right mind, and well.” 


198 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


“ Who has effected this change, so extraordinary, oh, 
my son ?” inquired Rabbi Amos, with trembling lips, 
and keeping his hand on Benjamin’s shoulder, as if he 
feared he would vanish away. 

“ It was Jesus, the Prophet of the Highest,” answered 
he, with solemn gratitude. 

“ Jesus !” we all exclaimed in one voice. 

“ I could have said so,” answered John, calmly. “ I 
needed not to ask who had effected this great work upon 
him. Rabbi Nicodemus, thou knowest this young man 
well! thou hast known him in childhood, and beheld 
him in the madness of his lunacy, among the tombs. 
Dost thou doubt now, whether Jesus be the very 
Christ ?” 

Nicodemus made no reply ; but I saw from the ex- 
pression of his face that he believed. 

“ How was this thing done to thee, young man ?” he 
asked, with deep and visible emotion. 

“I was wandering near Bethany this morning,” an- 
swered the lost and restored one, with modesty and feel- 
ing, “ when I beheld a crowd which I madly followed. 
As I drew near, I beheld in their midst a man, whom I 
had no sooner cast my eyes upon, than I felt seize me 
an ungovernable propensity to destroy him. The same 
fury possessed seven others, my comrades in madness, 
and together, with one mind and will, we rushed upon 
him, with great stones and knives in our hands. The 
crowd gave way and fell back aghast, and called him 
to save himself. But he moved not, but, left alone in a 
wide space, stood calmly awaiting us. We were within 
a few feet of him, and I was nearest, ready to strike 
him to the earth, when He quietly lifted one finger, 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


199 


and said “ Peace !” "We stood immovable, without 
power to stir a foot, while our rage and hatred increased 
with our inability to harm him. We howled and foam- 
ed at the mouth before him, for we then knew that he 
was the Son of G-od, come to destroy us. 

“ ‘ Come out of the men, and depart quickly !’ he 
said, in a tone of command as if to us, but really to the 
demons within us. At this word I fell at his feet in a 
dreadful convulsion, and my whole body writhed as if it 
had been wrestling with an invisible demon. Jesus then 
stooped and laid his hand upon my brow, and said, 1 Son, 
arise. Thou art made whole !’ 

“At these words a black cloud seemed to be lifted 
from my mind, and to disappear ; the glory of a new 
existence appeared to dawn upon my soul, while his 
voice melted my heart within me. Bursting into tears, 
the first I have shed for seven years, I fell at his feet 
and kissed and embraced them, wholly overcome with a 
new sense of peace, of inward happiness unspeakable. 

“ 6 Go thy way and fear God, that thou fall not a 
second time into this captivity to Satan !’ he said, rais- 
ing me to my feet. I then followed him, rejoicing and 
blessing God, until he entered the house of a Centurion, 
near Bethany, when I hastened hither, to gladden your 
hearts with the sight of me restored to my right 
mind.” 

• When Benjamin had done speaking, we all gave 
glory to God, who had given him back to us, and who 
had sent so great a prophet among men. As the master 
in Israel took his leave, I overheard him, congratulating 
the happy father, say, that he should embrace the first 
opportunity to have an interview with Jesus ; and when 


200 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAYID . 

my uncle told him that he hoped to entertain the mighty 
Prophet as his guest, the ruler desired permission to 
visit him here upon his arrival, “ hut secretly,” I heard 
him add, in Rabbi Amos’s ear, as he took his leave. 

I commenced this letter, dearest father, by an allusion 
to a great commotion which is agitating the whole city, 
and which was caused by an act of power on the part 
of the Prophet Jesus, who this morning, two hours ago, 
entered the city, and proceeded at once to the Temple, 
followed through the streets by an innumerable multi- 
tude, such as was never known in Jerusalem before. 
But as I have taken up so much of this letter in relating 
what passed yesterday in the hall of the Fountain, I will 
leave the account of the tumult, the voices of which are 
still to be heard, for my next letter, which I shall write 
this evening ; for now that all events are so interesting 
connected with the great Prophet, Christ, I shall write 
to you almost daily, that I may keep you advised of all 
things that come to pass, even as you desired me to do. 
This request from you, dear father, filled me with joy. 
It was an assurance to me that you have begun to take 
an interest in these wonderful things concerning Mes- 
sias, and leads me secretly to hope that you may yet 
believe in Him, and accept Him as the Anointed One 
of G-od, which without doubt He is, as both his words 
and his mighty works do testify. 

When I get a package of letters made up, I shall send 
them by Israel Ben Judah, with the caravan that leaves 
eight days after the Passover. 

May the Grod of our Fathers be with you, and bless 
you, and the holy people of the Promise. 

Your loving daughter, 


Adina. 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


201 


LETTER XVII. 

My Dear Father : 

The last letter which I sent to you, was written during 
an extraordinary tumult which prevailed in the city, an 
account of which I promised to give you in the present 
one. I will do so now. When, on the morning of the 
Passover, it was noised abroad that the Prophet of Gali- 
lee was entering the city by the gate of Jericho, the 
whole city was stirred, and from houses and shops 
poured forth crowds which turned their steps in that 
direction. Mary and I went upon the house-top, hoping 
to see something ; hut far and near was visible only a 
sea of heads, from which a deep murmuring arose, like 
the ceaseless voice of the ocean chafing upon a rocky 
shore. The top of the gate-way was visible from the 
place where we stood ; but it was black with the people 
who had crowded upon it to look down. There was 
heard, at length, an immense shout, as of one voice, 
which was followed by a swaying and onward pressure 
of the crowds. 

“ The Prophet must have entered the gate,” said my 
cousin Mary, breathlessly. “ How they do Him honor ! 
It is the reception of a king !” 

We were in hopes He would pass by our house, as we 
were on one of the chief thoroughfares, but were disap- 
pointed, as He took the way round the foot of Mount 

9 * 


202 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAYID: 


Zion, and ascended the hill of Moriah to the Temple. A 
part of the ascent to the house of the Lord is visible from 
our roof, and we had the satisfaction of seeing the Pro- 
phet at a distance. We knew Him, only because He 
was in advance ; and the people, while they walked near 
Him, yet left Him a little space. The nighest one to 
Him, Mary said, was her cousin John, though at that 
distance I could not have recognized him ; hut the eyes 
of maidenly affection, though mild as the dove’s, are as 
piercing as the eagle’s. The head of the multitude 
disappeared beneath the arch of the Temple, and thou- 
sands upon thousands followed after ; and in the rear 
rode the young Roman Centurion, whom I have before' 
spoken of, at the head of four hundred horse, to keep 
order in the vast mass. Mary could not recognize him, 
saying it was too far to tell who he was ; hut I knew 
him, not only by his air and hearing, hut hy his scarlet 
pennon that fluttered from his iron lance, and which I 
had bestowed upon him ; for he told me he had lost one 
his fair Roman sister, Tullia, had given him, and as he 
so much regretted its loss, I supplied its place hy ano- 
ther, worked hy my own hands. As this was an act of 
kindness only, to a stranger, dearest father, I know you 
will not disapprove of it — though being done for an idol- 
ater may not please you. But I am full of hope, dear 
father, that this noble and excellent youth may yet 
become a Jew ; for he loves to listen to my teachings 
from the Prophets, and last week he told me that he 
could never weary hearing me read to him from the 
Books of Moses, and from the sublime Psalms of King 
David ; which, he says, surpass any poems, either in his 
own tongue or the Greek. Thus, by attention and for- 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


203 


bearance, I assuredly believe that he may be led to 
renounce his idolatrous faith, and become a worshipper 
of the God of Hosts. 

The multitude, as many as could gain admission, 
having entered the great gate of the Temple, for a few 
minutes there was a profound stillness. Mary said : 

“ He is worshipping or sacrificing now.” 

“ Perhaps,” I said, “ He is addressing the people, and 
they listen to his words.” 

While I was speaking, there arose from the bosom of 
the Temple a loud, irregular, strange outcry of a thou- 
sand voices, pitched to high excitement. The people 
without the gate responded by a universal shout, and 
then we beheld those nighest the walls retreat down the 
hill-side in terrified confusion, while, to increase the 
tumult, the Roman horse charged up the hill, seeking 
to penetrate the masses, to reach the gate out of which 
the people poured like a living and tempest-tossed river, 
before which the head of the cohort recoiled, or was 
overwhelmed and down-trodden ! I held my breath in 
dreadful suspense, not knowing the cause of the fearful 
scene we beheld, nor to what it might lead. Mary, who 
knew both her father and her cousin were exposed to 
whatsoever danger was threatening those who had gone 
into the Temple, was overcome by her apprehensions of 
evil to them, and, burying her face in her hands, she 
sunk down almost insensible by my side. My attention 
was then drawn to her away from the scene on Mount 
Moriah, and leading her down into the apartments of 
the house, I saw no more of what followed. But a 
quarter of an hour had not passed when young Samuel 
Ben Azel, who had the day before come up from Nain, 


204 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


to the Passover, with his mother, who is a distant rela- 
tive of Rabbi Amos, entered, and explained to us the 
cause of the scene I had witnessed, assuring Mary at the 
same time of the safety both of her cousin and her 
father. His account was thus : 

“ The Prophet Jesus having entered into the Temple 
with the multitudes following Him to see what he would 
do, found all the courts filled with merchants, changers 
of money, and sellers of cattle to the sacrificers. Por- 
tions of the sacred place were divided off by fences, in 
which hundreds of sheep and cattle were stalled ; and 
between almost every two columns of the vast portico 
sat at their tables men whose business it was to change 
the foreign money, brought by the Jews from Greece, 
Egypt, Elam, Parthia, and Africa, who had come up to 
the Passover, into Jerusalem and Roman coin, which 
only the sellers of the cattle and sheep will receive for 
what they sell. On his way to the inner Temple, the 
Prophet found his path so obstructed by the stalls, and 
the tables of the brokers, that he had to go round them, 
and often to turn back and take a less hedged up ave- 
nue. At length finding, upon the very lintel of the 
Court of the Priests, a priest himself engaged at a table 
as a money-changer, and near him a Levite, keeping a 
stall for selling doves and sparrows to the worshippers, 
He stopped upon the step, and, turning round, cast his 
calm, terrible eye (for it was terrible then, mild as it 
was before) over the scene of noisy commerce and bar- 
tering. Every face was turned towards Him in expec- 
tation. The half-completed bargain was suspended, and 
buyer and seller directed their gaze, as by a sort of fas- 
cination, not unmingled with a strange awe and fear, 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


205 


upon Him. Those who had crowded about Him, drew 
back farther and farther, slowly but irresistibly widen- 
ing the space between them and Him, they knew not 
by what impulse, till He stood alone, save near Him 
remained John, his disciple. The uproar of the buying 
and selling suddenly subsided, and even the loud lowing 
of the cattle, and the bleating of the sheep, stopped as 
if a supernatural awe had seized even the brute creation 
at his presence ; and only the soft cooing of doves stirred 
the vast, death-like stillness of the place, a moment 
before a scene of oaths, cries, shouts, of running to and 
fro, buying and selling, the ringing of money, and the 
buzz of ten thousand voices ! It was as if a hurricane, 
sweeping with deafening uproar of the elements over 
the lashed ocean, had been suddenly arrested and fol- 
lowed by a great calm. The silence was dreadful ! It 
stopped the very beating of my heart. Every eye of the 
vast multitude seemed to fasten itself on the Prophet, in 
expectation of some dread event. I thought of the world 
hereafter to be assembled before the tribunal of Jehovah, 
awaiting their sentence. The step of the Temple upon 
which He stood seemed to be a throne, and the people 
before Him expecting judgment. Suddenly the silence, 
which had become oppressive, was broken by a young 
man near me, who gave vent to his feelings by a pierc- 
ing shriek, and fell insensible upon the marble floor. 
There was a general thrill of horror, yet the same awful 
stillness succeeded this startling interruption. That one 
intense shriek had spoken for us all, given expression 
and outlet to what we all felt. Suddenly the voice of 
the Prophet was heard, clear, authoritative, and ringing 
like the trumpet that shook Sinai when the Law was 
given, and made all the people to quake : 


206 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


“ 1 It is written , my Father’s house shall be called 
a House of Prayer ! hut ye have made it a den of 
thieves !’ 

“ He then picked up from the pavement at his feet 
a small cord, which some one had thrown down, and 
doubling it in the form of a scourge, He advanced. 
Before his presence fled the changers of money, priests, 
and Levites, sellers of oxen, sellers of sheep, sellers 
of doves, escaping in such haste from the terrible 
displeasure of his countenance, that they left their 
property to its fate, seeking only their personal 
safety. 

“ 4 Take these things hence,’ cried the Prophet, 1 make 
not my Father’s house a house of merchandise !’ 

“ Such a scene of confusion and flight was never wit- 
nessed as now followed ! The whole mass was in retro- 
grade motion. I was borne along with the current. 
Money-tables were overturned on all sides ; but not the 
most avaricious one present thought, at that moment, of 
stopping to gather any of the gold and silver which the 
rushing thousands trampled beneath their feet. It was 
not the whip of small cords before which we fled, for 
He touched no man therewith ; but it was from his 
presence / We were driven like chaff before him. To 
the eyes of all, the little whip seemed to blaze and flash 
above their heads, as if it were the fiery sword of a 
destroying angel. Nothing but terror, flight, escape, 
was thought of. In a few moments, the Priest’s Court 
of the Temple was cleared of every soul, and we were 
driven across the Court of Israel and the broader Court 
of the Grentiles, towards the south gate. On looking 
back, I saw that the Prophet pursued not, but stood 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


207 


alone, Master and Lord of the Temple. The whip was 
no longer in his hand ; and his whole attitude and ex- 
pression of face were changed from their late impress 
of terrible power, to an air of the profoundest com- 
passion, as He looked after us, still flying from his 
presence. 

“ But I had no time to marvel at this extraordinary 
change, for the multitude still sought escape, and bore 
me onward, and I lost sight of the mighty Prophet. At 
the gate we were met by a cohort of Pilate’s cavalry, 
and pressed backward into the Temple. The scene 
now became appalling ! What with the Roman spears 
in front, and the Prophet behind, the multitude fearing 
to go either way, trode one upon another, trampled the 
weak under foot, and filled the air with curses, shrieks, 
and horrible outcries, of mingled pain, rage, and terror. 
Plow I escaped, I know not,” added Samuel, as he 
completed his narration, “ hut on finding myself out- 
side of the gate, I at once, with hundreds, sought 
shelter in the city, and happy am I to have reached this 
place of security ; for the Romans are scouring the streets, 
driving all the people into their houses.” 

When Samuel had ended, and we were wondering at 
this new exhibition of the mighty power of the Prophet 
Jesus, the street in front of our dwelling was filled with 
persons seeking their homes. Some cried, “ the terrible 
Prophet !” others, “ the Romans !” and some, by their 
outcries, seemed to fly from equal fear of both. In the 
midst of this tumult, dear father, I sat down to write 
you my last letter, while the incidents were fresh, and 
lest other events should come in and crowd these from 
my mind. 


208 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


Ah ! my dear father, Jesus of Nazareth must he in- 
deed invested with powers divine ! He who, with a 
word and a look, for the whip in his hand could not, 
says Rabbi Amos, have hurt a child, can thus impel 
thousands of men before Him, could make the whole 
world fly from the terrible majesty of his presence ! My 
uncle, Rabbi Amos, who, on his return from the Temple, 
corroborated what Samuel had stated, added, that as 
Jesus stood alone, possessor of the gold-strewn floors 
of the Courts of the Temple, the High Priest advanced 
towards Him, and with awe, not unmixed with anger, 
demanded of Him by what authority He did these 
things, seeing that He took upon himself to purify the 
Temple. 

His answer was, “ My Father’s House must not 
be made a house of merchandise. Zeal for the glory 
of His Temple hath caused me to do these things.’' - 

“ Art thou the Christ ?” asked the High Priest, still 
standing some distance off from Him. 

9 “ If I tell thee that I am, ye will not believe.” 

“ When Christ shall come, He will restore all things,” 
answered the High Priest. 

“And I have begun this restoration by expelling 
from the Temple those who defile it, and restoring it 
to be a House of Prayer, according as my Father hath 
ordained.” 

“ And who is thy father ?” asked Caiaphas. 

“ G-od is my Father ; and to do His will am I sent 
into the world. I came not of myself, but my Father 
who sent me. It is written of me, ‘ He shall suddenly 
come to His Temple, and be as a purifier and refiner 
of silver.’ ” 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


209 


“ What sign showest thou that thou art sent, and hast 
authority to do what thou doest here to-day within the 
Temple ?” 

“ Hast thou not had proof of my power from heaven ?” 
answered Jesus, stretching forth his hand towards the 
still terror-stricken multitude ; and then laying it upon 
his breast, He added : “ Destroy this temple, and in 
three days I will raise it up ! Be this to you, 0 Priest, 
and to all Judea, the sign that I am sent by my Father, 
who is in heaven. As He hath given me commandment, 
soldo!” 

At this there was a great murmuring, said Rabbi Amos, 
for many of the priests, with Annas also, had got boldness, 
and drawn near to hear. 

“He cannot be a just man,” said Annas, “nor 
doth he honor God, if he would have us destroy the 
Temple !” 

“ Yet if he be not sent of God, whence hath he this 
power over men ?” answered another. 

“ He doeth this by Beelzebub, whose prophet he doubt- 
less is,” said Annas, in a loud tone, “for a true pro- 
phet would not seek the destruction of God’s holy 
House.” 

Thereupon there was a multitude of voices, some 
crying one thing, and some another ; but the most part 
asserting their belief that Jesus was a just man and divine 
prophet. Caiaphas at length obtained silence, and said 
to Him with awe : 

“ Art thou that Christ of the Prophets ?” 

“ I am! ” calmly and firmly answered the Prophet ; 
and, raising his eyes to heaven, He added impressively, 
“ I am come down from God !” 


210 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


"When, adds my uncle, Annas heard this, he lifted up 
his voice in an exclamation of horror, and cried out : 

li Hear ye this blasphemer ! Let us cast him forth 
from the Temple which he pollutes !” 

But no man dared approach the Prophet, whose mighty 
power had so recently been expressed in the expulsion of 
the merchants and buyers from that sacred place. 

“ Bear witness,” then said He, sorrowfully, rather 
than in anger, “ that I have come unto my own, and ye 
have received me not ! This Temple of my Father, from 
which you would drive me forth, shall no longer be the 
dwelling-place and altar of Jehovah. The day cometh 
when your priesthood shall be taken away and given to 
ethers, and among the Gentiles shall arise to my Father’s 
name, on every hill and in every valley of the earth, holy 
temples, wherein he shall delight to dwell ; and men 
shall no longer need to worship G-od in Zion, but in all 
places shall prayer and praise be offered to the Most 
High. This Temple, which ye have polluted, shall be 
overthrown, and ye shall be scattered among the nations, 
because ye knew not the time of God’s mercy.” 

Thus speaking, the Prophet quitted the Temple, leav- 
ing the High Priest, and priests, and Levites, standing 
gazing after Him, without power to utter a word. Rabbi 
Amos, who saw and heard all this, says that nothing 
could have been more striking than the contrast pre- 
sented between the two men, the High Priest and Jesus, 
(if it be lawful to call Him a man, dear father,) as they 
talked with each other ; the one clothed in magnificent 
garments, with a glittering tiara upon his brows, his port 
lofty and proud, his hair and beard white as snow, and 
his whole appearance majestic and splendid with out- 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


211 


ward richness ! the other youthful, clad in coarse gar- 
ments, with a gray Galilean mantle folded about Him, 
sandals much worn upon his feet, and his whole garb 
mean, and covered with the dust of his journey on foot 
from Bethany; while the severe sadness of his face, 
which seemed beautifully and touchingly chastened by 
prayer and suffering, contrasted strongly with the stern, 
harsh face of Caiaphas, flushed with anger and envious 
hostility. 

“ He passed out of the Temple with an even pace, 
neither looking back at his enemies nor followed by 
them. I beheld John , join Him, and hastened to ask 
him to invite Him to my house to sojourn and eat the 
Passover with me, but He disappeared, and I lost sight of 
Him. But at the gate I encountered a man leaping and 
singing, whom the Prophet had healed by a touch as He 
passed out, though the man had been paralytic for nearly 
thirty years. Thus this mighty person never ceases to 
do good. ,, 

Such, my dear father, is the account given by Eabbi 
Amos of what passed in the Temple. That Jesus is the 
Christ, is now beyond question ; for He has openly 
acknowledged it to the High Priest ! 

Adieu, dearest father. The servants are bringing in 
boughs for the booths, and I must close this letter, with 
prayers to our father’s God for your peace and welfare. 

Adina. 


212 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


LETTER XVIII. 

My Dear Father : 

The last letter which I received by the hands of the 
Roman courier, filled me with gratitude, at learning 
from it your recovery. "When I heard from Ben Israel 
of your ill health, I felt like flying with the wings of a 
dove to reach your pillow, and administer to the comfort 
of the venerated and loved author of my being. The 
God of our fathers be praised in raising you up : and 
that He may preserve you long to me, shall be my daily 
prayer. 

You say in your letter, dear father, that you have' 
read with interest all my letters, and more especially 
those which relate to Jesus of Galilee, the mighty Pro- 
phet now vouchsafed to Israel. You say that you are 
ready to acknowledge Him as a prophet sent from God, 
“for evidently no man could do such great works except 
God were with him.” But you add, “ while I am ready, 
my child, to recognize him as a prophet of the Lord, I 
am far from seeing in Him the Messias promised to our 
people ! Aside from the lowliness of his parentage and 
his humility of condition, traveling on foot, and without 
retinue (while Messias is to be a Prince and King), He 
can have no claim to be the Christ, because he comes 
out from Galilee. Doth Messias come out of Galilee ? 
Let Rabbi Amos, who seems ready, I perceive, to ac- 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


213 


knowledge Him as the Christ, let him examine the 
writings of the Prophets, and see ! Hath not the Scrip- 
ture said that Christ cometh of the seed of David, and 
out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was ? 
Search and look, for no prophet, much less Messias, 
cometh out of Galilee.” 

To this objection, dear father, also made (and answer- 
ed by me) in a previous letter, Rabbi Amos desires me 
to say, that he has investigated the records of births 
kept in the Temple, and finds, as I have before named 
to you, that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. He after- 
wards removed with his parents to Egypt, and thence 
returning to Judea, settled in Galilee, where He was 
brought up. Of these facts in his history, not only 
Rabbi Amos is satisfied, but Nicodemus also, whose learn- 
ing you will not gainsay ; and the latter, very much to 
our surprise, and my own delight, added yesterday, when 
we were talking over the subject at supper, “ there is a 
prophecy, 0 Rabbi Amos, which strengthens this mighty 
Prophet’s claim to be the Messiah.” 

“ What is it ? Let me hear all that can strengthen !” 
I asked earnestly ; not, dear father, that my confidence 
in Him needs confirmation, but I wish others to believe. 

“ You will find it in the Prophet Hoseas,” answered 
Nicodemus, “ and thus it readeth : ‘ I have called my 
son out of Egypt.’ These words refer to Messias, with- 
out question, as say all the doctors of the law.” 

“It is a new argument for Jesus, then,” answered 
Rabbi Amos. 

My heart bounded with joy, dear father, at hearing this 
prophecy named ; but judge my emotion when Nicode- 
mus, taking the roll of the Prophet Isaiah in his hand, 


214 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


read the words that follow, and applied them to J esns : 
“ Beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the Gentiles, the people 
which sat in darkness have seen a great light !” This 
changes the objection to his coming from Galilee, into 
additional proof of his claim to be the Messias. 

I hear you now ask, dear father, with many of the 
rich and influential citizens of Jerusalem, “ Have the 
rulers begun to believe in Him?” Yes, Nicodemus does 
begin to believe that He is the Christ, being more and 
more assured of it the more he examines 'the divine 
Scriptures. 0, my dear father, that you could see 
Jesus, and hear Him discourse, as I have done ! All 
your doubts would then be dissipated, and you would 
be willing to sit at his feet, and learn of Him the 
words of life. How shall I describe Him — how shall I 
cause you to hear and see Him, as I have heard and 
seen ? 

In my last letter I informed you that Rabbi Amos 
had invited Him to sojourn with us during the Pass- 
over. John, the cousin of Mary, conveyed to Him the 
invitation of my uncle, and He graciously accepted 
it, and came hither yesterday, after He had quit- 
ted the Temple, from which He had, with such com- 
manding power, driven forth the merchants and money- 
changers. 

Hearing, while expecting Him, the rumor flying along 
the streets, “ The Prophet comes ! the Prophet comes !” 
uttered by hundreds of voices of men and children, I 
hastened to the house-top, which commanded a view of 
the street, to the foot of the Temple. The whole way 
was a sea of heads. The multitude came rolling on- 
ward, like a mighty river; as I have seen the dark Nile 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


215 


flow when pouring its freshening floods along its con- 
fined hanks. 

Mary stood by my side. We tried to single out, amid 
the advancing throng, the central person around whom 
undulated the sea of heads, and whose progress gave 
occasion to so mighty a commotion. But all was so wild- 
ly confused with the waving of palm branches, that we 
could distinguish nothing clearly. While I was strain- 
ing my gaze to make out the form of the Prophet, 
Mary touched me, and bade me look in the opposite 
direction. As I did so, I beheld iEmilius Tullius, the 
young Roman Centurion, of whom I have before spo- 
ken, now Prefect of Pilate’s Legion, advancing at 
the head of two hundred horsemen at full spur, in 
order to meet and turn back the advancing column ot 
people. 

As he came opposite the house, he looked up, and see- 
ing us upon the parapet, he gracefully waved his gleam- 
ing sword, saluted us, and was dashing past, when Mary 
cried out : 

“ Noble sir, there is no insurrection, as some of the 
people have doubtless told thee, but this vast crowd mov- 
ing liitherward is only an escort to the Prophet of Naza- 
reth, who cometh to be my father’s guest.” 

“ I have orders from Pilate to arrest him, lady, as a 
disturber of the peace of the capital.” 

“ Shall a prophet suffer because his mighty deeds draw 
crowds after his footsteps, noble Roman ? If thy troops 
advance there will be a collision with the people. If thou 
wilt withdraw them a little, thou wilt see that when the 
Prophet crosses my father’s threshold, they will go away 
in peace.” 


216 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


The Prefect said nothing, hut seemed to look at me for 
some words, which seeing, I earnestly entreated him to 
do the Prophet no violence. 

“ For thy wishes’ sake, lady, I will here halt my 
troop ; especially as I see that the people are un- 
armed.” 

The Centurion then gave orders to his horsemen to 
draw up in line opposite the house. The multitude now 
came near ; hut many of those in advance, seeing the 
Roman horse, stopped or fell into the rear, so that I be- 
held Jesus appear in front, walking at an even, calm 
pace, John at his side ; also Rahhi Amos was with 
Him. As He came nigher, the people, for fear of the 
long Roman spears, kept hack, and He advanced almost 
alone. I saw John point out to Him our house. The 
Prophet raised his face and gazed upon it an instant. 
I saw his features full. His countenance was riot that* 
of a young man, hut of a person past the middle age of 
life, though He is hut thirty. His hair was mingled 
with gray, and in his finely-shaped, oval face, were carved, 
evidently hy care and sorrow, deep lines. His flowing 
heard fell upon his hreast. His eyes appeared to he 
fixed upon us both for an instant, with benignity and 
peace. Deep sadness, gentle, not stern, seemed to he 
the characteristic expression of his noble and princely 
visage. There was an air of manly dignity in his car- 
rage and mien ; and as he walked amid his followers, 
he was truly kingly, yet simplicity and humility quali- 
fied this native majesty of port. He seemed to draw 
out both the awe and love of those who saw Him — to com- 
mand equally our homage and sympathy. 

As He drew near where the Roman Prefect sat upon 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


217 


his horse, the Prophet inclined his body slightly, but 
with a courtesy indescribable, to the young chief, who 
bent low to his saddle-bow in acknowledgment, as if to 
a monarch. We were both surprised and highly grati- 
fied, dear father, at this act of homage from the Roman 
knight to our Prophet, and I thought more kindly than 
ever of iEmilius. 

Passing the troop of horse, John and Rabbi Amos 
conducted Jesus to our door ; but before they reached it 
there was a loud cry from several harsh voices to the 
Roman to arrest Him. On looking from whence these 
shouts came, I saw that they proceeded from several oi 
the priests, headed by Annas, who were pressing forward 
through the crowd, crying menacingly : 

“ We call upon you, 0 Prefect, to arrest this man ! 
Shame on thee, Rabbi Amos ! Hast thou also believed in 
the impostor ? We charge this G-alilean, 0 Roman, with 
having made sedition. He has taken possession of the 
Temple, and unless you see to it, he will have the citadel 
out of your hands. If you arrest him not, we will not 
answer for the consequences that may befall the city and 
the people.” 

“ I see nothing to fear from this man, 0 ye Jews,” 
answered iEmilius. “ He is unarmed, and without troops. 
Stand back ; keep ye to your Temple. It is from your 
outcries comes all the confusion ! Back to your altars ! 
If commotions arise in the city, Pilate will make you 
accountable. All the rest of the people are peaceable, 
save only yourselves.” 

“ We wdl take our complaint before the Procurator,” 
cried Annas, who was the chief speaker ; and, followed 
by a large company of angry priests and Levites, with 
10 


218 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


staves in their hands, he took his way towards the palace 
of the Roman governor. 

I looked my gratitude to iEmilius, for so fearlessly 
taking part with the Prophet. 

The multitude now began to retire as the Roman 
horse slowly moved up the street, and Jesus being re- 
ceived into the house by Mary, who descended to open 
the door, quiet was soon in a measure restored ; though 
at one one time a large concourse of persons, whose 
money-tables had been cast down, came to complain of 
their losses, and would have attacked the house hut for 
Rabbi Amos, who went forth and civilly addressed them ; 
showing them that if they had sold and bought in the 
Temple, contrary to law, and that if Jesus had driven 
them forth alone, he must he a prophet, for only a pro- 
phet could make a thousand men flee before him ; “ and 
if he he a prophet, my friends, he has acted by command 
of G-od ; and take heed, lest in avenging yourselves 
against him, ye be found fighting against the Lord of 
the Temple !” 

With such words he caused them to retire, though 
many sick, lame, halt, blind, and infirm, as well as 
a group of lepers, stood a long time without, calling 
upon the Prophet to come forth and touch them and 
heal them. 

In the meanwhile, Jesus was taken into the inner hall, 
and water being brought, Rabbi Amos himself removed 
his sandals and reverently washed his feet ; while Mary, 
to do him all honor, dried them with a rich veil, which 
she had just worked in anticipation of her coming bridal 
with her cousin John. It was at this moment I entered 
the hall. Desirous as I had been to see and speak with 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 


219 


the Prophet, now that I beheld him face to face, I shrunk 
with awe. He raised his eyes, and beholding me, said : 

“ Daughter, come thou also and bid me welcome with 
these dear friends ; for I know thou believest in me, and 
desirest that thy father also should believe. Be patient, 
and hope ; for thou shalt yet behold him whom thou 
lovest, my disciple !” 

As He thus spake He extended to me his hand, upon 
which I let fall, like rain, tears of joy. I perceived that 
he knew my heart and thoughts, and that his words 
would prove true. Yes, dear father, you also will be- 
lieve, as we all believe ! You also are to acknowledge 
Him as the Christ. 

There were in the room, not only Amos, and John, and 
Mary, but the Priest Elias, cousin to Caiaphas, who, 
desirous of hearing from the lips of the Prophet his sub- 
lime teachings, had come in with him. There were also 
present five men whom I never saw before ; but who, as 
John said, were his disciples. One of them was tall, 
spare in person, with high, energetic features, a bold 
brow and eagle eye, with an air of singular determina- 
tion, like a soldier. His name was Simon Peter. An- 
other was a very intellectual-looking person, with a calm, 
thoughtful air, who seemed to hang on every word his 
master uttered, as if he were listening to the very oracles 
of Grod. His name was Andrew, and he is brother to 
Simon. But I had no eye or ear for any one but Jesus. 
I saw that He seemed weary and pale, and for the first 
time I noticed He seemed to suffer, as from time to time 
He raised his hand to his temples. Desirous of serving 
so holy a person, I hastened to prepare a restorative, 
which, bringing it into the hall, I was about to give to 


220 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


Him, when the Priest Elias put me rudely back, and 
said, “ Nay, maiden, let us witness a miracle !” He 
then turned to the Prophet and said, ‘ c Master, we have 
heard much of thy power to do miracles, but have seen 
none by thee ! If thou wilt presently show me a mi- 
racle, I will believe, I and all my house l Thou hast a 
pain in thy forehead ; heal it with a touch, and I will 
acknowledge thee the Christ, the Son of the blessed !” 

Jesus turned his eyes upon him and said, “ Elias, 
thou readest the Prophets, and shouldest know whether 
he who speaketh unto thee be the Christ or no ! Search 
the Scriptures, that thou mayest know that the time of 
his visitation is come, and that I am He ! One pro T 
phecy fulfilled is of more value than many miracles. 
But I do no miracles to relieve my own sufferings. I 
came into this world to suffer. Isaiah wrote of me as a 
man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief! Blessed 
are they who not seeing, shall believe. Ye believe that 
I am a prophet, and come out from God. It is well. 
Shall a prophet, then, deceive ? If I am a prophet, (and 
ye doubt it not,) and I say that I am also the Christ, 
why will ye not believe me ? If I am a true prophet, 
come out from God, I cannot deceive. Yet ye believe 
me when I say I am a prophet, and ye are displeased if 
I say that I am the Christ. If ye believe me. at all, then 
believe what I say unto you, that I am the Christ.” 

“ But, master,” said the aged Levite, Asher, “ we 
know whence thou art — even from Galilee. But when 
Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is !” 

“ It is true, 0 man of Israel, ye both know me and 
whence I am. Yet ye know not Him who sent me. Ye 
do not understand the Scriptures, or ye would indeed 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


221 


know me, whence I am, and who hath sent me. But 
ye know neither me nor Him that sent me, for I am 
come out from God. If ye had known Him, ye would 
know me also. The time cometh when ye shall know 
whence I am afid believe in me ; hut now your hearts 
are darkened through ignorance and unbelieving. I 
have told you plainly I am the Christ.” 

When He had thus spoken with great dignity and 
power, there were many present who were offended, and 
some voices murmured against Him. Then Rabbi Amos 
led Him forth to the apartment he had prepared for Him ; 
but the people remained warmly discussing the subject, 
and were greatly divided about Him, some saying that 
He was Christ, and others denying it ; while others cried 
aloud that He did his miracles by Beelzebub, Prince of 
the devils. 

“ And so,” said my cousin John to me, bitterly, “ and 
so it is wherever my beloved master goes. Detraction 
and envy, malice and unbelief, follow his footsteps, and 
daily his life is menaced, and no place is a place of shel- 
ter for his aching head.” 

In going to his apartment, the Prophet had to cross 
the court, and as I was watching his retiring footsteps, 
I saw four men, who had climbed to the house-top from 
the side street, the doors being closed, let down a fifth 
in a blanket at the very feet of Jesus. It was a man 
afflicted with the palsy, and their own father. Jesus 
seing their filial love, stopped and said kindly : 

“ Young men, what would ye have me to do ?” 

“ Pleal our aged father, holy Rabbi.” 

“ Believe ye that I can do this ?” He asked, fixing his 
gaze earnestly on them. 


222 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID 

u Yes, Lord ! we believe that thou art the Christ, 
the son of the living God ! All things are possible unto 
thee l” 

Jesus looked benignantly upon them, and then tak- 
ing the venerable man by the hand, He said to him 
in a loud voice, so that all who were looking on heard 
Him : 

“ Aged father, I say unto thee, arise and walk I” 

The palsied man instantly rose to his ieet, whole and 
strong, and after casting a glance around upon himself, 
he threw himself at the Prophet’s feet, and bathed them 
in tears. The four sons followed their father’s exam- 
ple, while all the people who witnessed the miracle 
shouted, “ Glory to God, who hath given such power 
unto men !” 

Jesus then withdrew himself from the embrace of the 
grateful sons, who now embracing their father, wept 
upon his neck, and then the whole four escorted him, 
two on each side, with their arms about him, and about 
each other, into the street, where they were received by 
the multitude with loud cries of gratulation ; for the old 
man had been well known in the city by all men, as 
palsied and unable to walk for many years. 

Such, my dear father, are the increasing testimonies 
Jesus bears, by miracles as well as by words, to his be- 
ing Messias. 

The God of our fathers keep you in health. 

Your loving daughter, 


Adina. 


OR. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


223 


LETTER XIX. 

My Dear Father : 

The visit of the Prophet Jesus to the city has produced 
results of the most amazing character. His numerous 
miracles, performed in open day by a word, or by a look, 
or a touch, or a command ; the power of his preaching ; 
the excellency of his doctrines, which are evidently 
divine ; his clear assertions that He is the very Christ, 
have all contributed to bring the first men of Israel, 
rulers as well as people, to believe in Him ! During 
the four days He remained at the house of my uncle 
Amos, the chief men of the city came to hear Him, and, 
if possible, to see some miracle performed by Him. The 
priesthood is divided. Caiaphas has publicly recognized 
Him as a prophet, while Annas has publicly declared 
that He is an impostor ; and thus two parties are formed 
in the city, headed by the two priests, and most men 
have taken sides with one or the other. But the ma- 
jority of the common people are in favor of Jesus, be- 
lieving Him to he the Christ. The Pharisees most op- 
pose Him, because He boldly reproves their sins and 
hypocrisies ; and though they fear Him, they hate and 
would destroy Him, for He preaches so plainly against 
their wickednesses, that the people have ceased to res- 
pect them. Even Nicodemus, who at first was inclined * 
to accept Jesus as a prophet, finding the Pharisees 


224 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


against Him, and being unwilling to lose his popularity 
with them, kept away from the house where Jesus was, 
by day ; but his curiosity to learn more of Him led 
him to visit the holy Prophet secretly by night. This 
he did twice, coming alone in the darkness, and being 
let in by his friend Rabbi Amos. What the result of 
these interviews was, I can only tell you from Mary’s 
account. She overheard their conversation, her win- 
dow opening upon the corridor, where Jesus was seated 
after supper, alone in the moonlight for full an hour, 
gazing meditatively heavenward. His pale and chis- 
eled features in the white moonlight seemed radiant 
as marble, and as cold, when Rabbi Amos came and 
announced the ruler Mcodemus, as desirous of speaking, 
with Him. 

“ Bid him come in and see me, if he has aught 
to say to me,” answered the Prophet, turning towards 
him. 

“ Nicodemus,” added my cousin Mary, “ then came 
to the corridor, wrapped carefully in his mantle ; and, 
looking about to see if he was unobserved, he dropped 
it from his face, and, bowing reverently, said to the 
Prophet : 

“ ‘ Pardon me, 0 Rabbi, that I come to thee by night ; 
but by day thy time is taken up with healing and teach- 
ing. I am glad to find thee alone, great Prophet, for I 
would ask thee many things.’ 

“ ‘ Speak, Nicodemus, and I will listen to thy words,’ 
answered the Prophet. 

“ ( Rabbi,’ said the ruler of the Pharisees, 4 I know 
thou art a teacher come from God ; for no man can do 
theso things that thou doest except God be with him-. 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


225 


That thou art a mighty Prophet, I believe, as do all 
men ; but art thou Messias ? Tell us plainly !’ 

“ ‘ If I tell thee, Nicodemus, thou wilt not believe,’ 
answered Jesus, mildly. 1 1 will ask you one question. 
Whence cometh Christ ?’ 

“ ‘ He is the son of David, and cometh out of Bethle- 
hem-.’ 

“ i Thou hast well answered. Rabbi Amos, here, will 
tell thee that he has examined the records. Ask him 
whose son he is who speaketh unto thee.’ 

“ ‘ The son of Joseph and of Mary, of the lineage of 
David’s house,’ answered Rabbi Amos. ‘ The record of 
this Prophet’s birth I have seen, 0 Nicodemus, and also 
have Caiaphas and many others. Thou can^t examine 
for thyself, if thou wilt come to the Temple with me to- 
morrow.’ 

“ ‘ Thy word suffices, 0 Rabbi Amos ; for who ever 
knew thy lips to utter falsehood ?’ 

“ 1 The same record shows that the great Prophet, now 
here among us, was born in Bethlehem in the days of 
the taxation,’ answered Rabbi Amos. 

“ ‘ Then whence is it, 0 Prophet, that thou comest 
out of Nazareth of Galilee ?’ asked Nicodemus doubt- 

ingly- 

“ 1 1 will tell thee, Nicodemus,’ answered Jesus. 1 My 
mother dwelt in Nazareth, and as she sojourned at Beth- 
lehem, to be registered in her own family town, David’s 
town, I was born ! Thus am I of the line of David, of 
the town of Bethlehem, and also as it was prophesied 
of me, a Nazarene. Dost thou ask more ? Dost thou 
believe ?’ 

“ ‘ Yea, Lord * but how read the Prophets that Messias 

is to be a king, and to rule the whole earth ?’ 

10 * 


226 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID. 

•* “ 1 My kingdom, 0 ruler of the Pharisees, is not of this 
world ! I am indeed a king, hut of a spiritual kingdom. 
My kingdom, unlike earthly kingdoms, has no end ; and 
those who become its subjects must be born again, or 
they cannot see it !’ 

“ ‘ Bom again ?’ answered Nicodemus, with surprise ; 
4 How can a man be a second time born after he is 
grown to manhood ? 0 Rabbi, thou speakest in para- 

bles.’ 

44 4 Art thou a wise man of the Pharisees, and a mas- 
ter in Israel, and knowest not .what I say ?’ answered 
the Prophet. 4 Yerily, verily I say unto thee, except a 
man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter 
my kingdom. He who is born of Adam is of the flesh, 
and of Satan’s kingdom, of which Adam was ; but he 
that is born again is born a spiritual man, and is of my 
kingdom ; "for I come to build up a kingdom on the 
ruins of Satan’s seat. Marvel not, then, that I say that 
the sons of Adam must be born again to be sons of 
God. If ye would enter into my kingdom and live for- 
ever, ye must be born again, even of water and of the 
Spirit.’ 

“ 4 How can these things be ? Pray, master, explain, 
that I may know what this mystery meaneth. How 
can a man be born when he is old ?’ 

44 4 What ! dost thou stumble at the very threshold of 
the doctrine of my kingdom, 0 Pharisee ? If ye can- 
cot believe earthly things, how shall ye understand the 
heavenly things which ye seek to know ? He that 
would be my disciple must be born again ! Your first 
birth is under Satan’s power, which rules the world, as 
it now is, in bondage ; your second birth will be into His 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


227 


kingdom, who has come to destroy Satan’s and build up 
His own. This birth is spiritual.’ 

“ Upon this Nicodemus rose and said, with an incredu- 
lous shake of the head : 

“ 1 I will hear thee again, 0 Rabbi, of this matter 
touching this new birth, of which thou speakest.’ 

“ 1 When Nicodemus left Him, Rabbi Amos said, ‘ Is 
it indeed true, 0 Master, that thou art to establish a 
kingdom ?’ 

“ 1 Yes, Rabbi Amos, a kingdom in which dwelleth 
righteousness,’ answered the Prophet. 

“ ‘ And shall all nations pay us tribute ?’ 

“ ‘ Thou knowest not what thou sayest, 0 Rabbi. But 
the vail shall be removed from thine eyes when thou seest 
the Son of man lifted up on his throne, as Moses lifted up 
the serpent in the wilderness.’ 

“ ‘ Where will be thy throne, 0 Messias ? Wilt thou 
expel the Romans from the city of David, and reign 
there V 

“ ‘ Thou shalt yet behold me on my throne, 0 Amos, 
raised above the earth, and drawing all men unto 
me.’ 

“ 1 Wilt thou have thy throne in the clouds of heaven, 
0 Master, that thou shalt be raised above the earth upon 
it ?’ asked Rabbi Amos. 

“ ‘ My throne shall be set on Calvary, and the ends 
of the earth shall look unto me, and acknowledge 
my empire. But thou knowest not these things now ; 
but hereafter thou shalt remember that I told thee of 
them.’ ” 

Jesus then rose, and bidding his host good night, re- 
tired to the apartment which was assigned Him, and 
Mary remained wondering at his sayings. 


228 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID: 

Thus, dear father, it is made certain from his own 
words, that Jesus is the Christ ; that He is to establish 
a kingdom ; that He will stand on “ a throne high and 
lifted up,” as saith the Prophet, and all the earth shall 
acknowledge Him. But why his throne should be on Cal- 
vary instead of Mount Zion, Rabbi Amos wonders great- 
ly, in conversing with us to-day ; for Calvary is a 
place of skulls, and of public executions, and is covered 
with Roman crosses, where every week some malefac- 
tor is crucified for his crimes ! And yet it is more mys- 
terious still, his saying that we must be born again. 
But John remarked that there are many things which 
He says to him and his disciples, which Jesus plainly 
tells them they cannot yet understand, but will by-and- 
by remember ; and that Pie tells them now, that then, 
when they see these things fulfilled, they may re- 
member that He told them of them and believe in 
Him, and so have confidence that other sayings and 
prophecies of his, yet further in the future, will come to 
pass. 

Jesus, in all that He says, in all that He does, seems 
both omniscient and omnipotent ! Whatever He wills 
to do, He doeth. Never man had power such as dwells 
in Him. This morning, as He was going forth from the 
house to depart into the country, a man lame from his 
youth, seated upon the threshold, caught Him by his 
robe, saying, “ Master, heal me !” 

“ Son, thy sins be forgiven thee,” answered Jesus, and 
then passed on ; but, the Scribes and Pharisees who stood 
about, when they heard this, cried, “This man, be he 
prophet or no, blasphemeth ; for God alone can forgive 
sins 1” 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


229 


Jesus stopped, and turning to them, said : 

“ "Which is easier, to say to this man, who has not 
walked for twelve years, and whose legs and arms are 
withered, as you see, 4 Thy sins he forgiven thee,’ or to 
say, 4 Rise and walk V If I can hid him rise and walk 
as aforetime, and he does so before your eyes, is it not 
proof to you that I have power to forgive his sins also ? 
For who could make him to rise and walk hut the power 
of God alone, who also forgiveth men’s sins ? But that 
ye may know that the Son of God hath power on earth 
to forgive sins — Behold !” 

Then, in a loud voice, the Prophet said to the lame 
man, “ Arise, take up thy bed, and go to thine house !” 

Immediately the man rose to his feet, leaping and 
praising God, and taking up the mattress upon which 
they had brought him to the door, he ran swiftly away 
to show himself to his kinsfolk, while all the people 
shouted and praised God ! 

Thus did Jesus publicly show men that He could for- 
give sins, if He could heal — as the power to do either 
came equally from God. Does not this power prove that 
He is the Son of God ? 

You should have seen Him, dear father, as He left our 
house, to go away into Galilee. Mary and I fell at his 
feet and bathed them with our tears. Rabbi Amos, and 
even Nicodemus, kneeled before Him, with many others, 
asking his blessing ; mothers came with their infants, 
that He might lay his hands on them ; and the sick and 
impotent were placed by their friends in his path, that 
his shadow in passing might heal them. Hundreds 
brought handkerchiefs, amulets, and sprigs of cypress 
torn from the booths, in order that they might place 


230 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID 


them in contact with his garments. The street was 
lined with all the afflicted of Jerusalem ; and as He 
moved on between the rows of wretched sufferers, whose 
hollow eyes and shrivelled arms were turned imploringly 
towards Him, He healed by words addressed to them, 
as He moved on, so that where He found disease before 
Him, stretched on beds, He left behind Him health 
and empty couches. "We all wept at his departure, and 
followed Him to the Damascus gate. Here there was 
assembled a large company of Levites and priests, 
among whom were mingled some of the most des- 
perate characters in Jerusalem. Knowledge of this 
fact reached Rabbi Amos, who at once sent a message to 
iEmilius, our Roman friend, informing him that he ap- 
prehended that there would be an attempt made to assas- 
sinate Jesus at the going out of the gate, and asking his 
aid. . 

iEmilius placed himself at the head of fifty horse, and 
reaching the gate, pressed the crowd back, and took pos- 
session of it. When Jesus passed through the armed 
guard beneath the arch, the young Roman courteously 
offered Him an escort to the next village. 

Jesus, graciously looking on him, said : 

“ Young man, I need not thy help. My hour is not 
yet come. They cannot harm me till my hour arrives. 
I am not yet given by my Father into their hands ! 
Take my blessing, and one day thou shalt know to whom 
thou hast offered the aid of thy troop.” 

The Levites and their hired murderers now pressed 
forward, and broke through the cohort to reach Jesus, 
uttering wild and fearful cries ; but iEmilius charging, 
routed them, and put several to the sword. He then 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


231 


rode up to the side of the Prophet, offering Him the 
best horse in his company. This accommodation Je- 
sus refused, hut walked by the Roman soldier, who in- 
sisted on escorting Him, affably conversing with him, 
and teaching him wonderful things touching the kingdom 
of Hod. 

iEmilius, who informed me of these things, conducted 
Him as far as Ephraim, and then was about to leave 
Him to return to the city, when four lepers came from 
the cemetery of the tombs, near the village, and crying 
out afar off, said : 

u Thou blessed Christ, have mercy on us !” 

Jesus stopped, though his disciple Peter would have 
bidden the lepers hold their peace, as it was late, and 
his Master was weary ; but Jesus, who never wearies 
doing good, called to the lepers to approach. As they 
obeyed, the whole company of people, as well as the 
Roman soldiers, drew back to a distance, in horror at 
the sight of these dead- living men. They came timidly 
within twenty paces of Jesus, and stood still, tremb- 
lingly ! 

“ Fear not,” said He, “ I will make you whole !” 

He then advanced towards them, aad laying his hand 
upon each of them, they all, at the touch, were instantly 
changed to well men, with the bouyant form, clear eye, 
and rich bloom of health ! 

When iEmilius saw this miracle, he dismounted 
from his horse, and falling at Jesus’ feet, cried, worship- 
ping Him : 

“ Thou art Mercury or Jupiter, 0 mighty god ! Give 
me wisdom and power from the skies !” 

“ Rise, young man,” answered Jesus, sadly looking 


232 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAYID : 


upon him ; thou shalt have wisdom and grace, hut not 
from thy gods ; there is hut one God, even the Father ; 
worship Him, and He will reward thee* !” 

iEmilius said to me that his heart thrilled at these 
words, with others he had spoken in the way, and he 
promised me that he would henceforth “ cast aside his 
gods and believe in the God of Israel, and in Jesus, his 
holy Prophet.” 

Is not this blessed news? “Lo! He exclaims,” as 
saith the Prophet, “ liberty to the Gentiles.” 

Now, my dear father, I have thus far faithfully written 
all that I have heard and witnessed respecting Jesus, 
as you desire. You must see that He is more than a 
prophet, and must be the very Christ, the son of the 
Blessed. Withhold, oh, withhold not, your belief lon- 
ger ! Thousands believe in Him, and love and reverence 
Him, as Messias. Daily his power over the hearts and 
minds of men is increasing. The common people wor- 
ship the very dust of his sandals. The priests believe 
and tremble ; but, like Herod, when He was an infant 
in Bethlehem, would destroy Him lest He should sup- 
plant them. They say the daily sacrifice will cease, 
the Temple fall to ruins, and the faith of Israel depart, 
if Jesus be suffered to live and preach, and do these 
mighty signs and wonders among the people. But all 
this establishes his claims ! Did not David prophesy 
of Messias, that when He should come, “ The kings of 
the earth would set themselves, and the rulers take 
counsel together against the Lord and against his 
anointed? But He that sitteth in the heavens shall 
laugh : the Lord shall have them in derision.” Tlius, 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


233 


dear father, all things more and more go to prove Jesus 
of Nazareth to he the Christ of God. 

Your affectionate and loving daughter, 

Adina. 


LETTER XX. 

My Dear Father : 

It is many months since you have received a letter 
from me, written with my own hand ; and I rejoice that 
I am so far restored to health as to resume my corres- 
pondence with you. I cannot speak to you too warmly in 
praise of my uncle Amos and cousin Mary, during my 
illness. By their care and nursing, under the blessing 
of God, I am now nearly well. The pure air of the 
mountains of Galilee being recommended to me, they 
journeyed with me thither, and at the foot of Mount 
Tabor, in the lovely village of Nain, I have passed many 
weeks, reviving each day. 

We are now at the humble abode of Sarah, a widow, 
whose husband had been lost on the Great Sea, on which 
he was a seaman in one of the merchant ships of Cesa- 
rea. The cottage of the widow stands in a garden, from 
which is a sublime view of Tabor, in all the majesty of 
his mountain grandeur. One day while I was in the 
garden walking, two men, dusty and travel- worn, stopped 
at the half-open gate, and saluting us, said : 

“ Peace be to this house, maiden, and all who dwell 
therein.” 

“ Enter,” said the widow, overhearing them, “ enter, 
and ye shall have water for your feet, and bread for youi 
hunger.” 


234 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID 


The two men then entered and seated themselves ; 
and having been refreshed by the poor, but hospitable 
widow, one of them rose and said : 

“ This day is salvation come to this house. We are 
ambassadors of Jesus of Nazareth, and go from city to 
city, proclaiming the day of the Lord at hand, for Mes- # 
sias is come !”* 

At hearing these words, Mary and I both exclaimed 
with joy that we had both seen and heard Jesus at Jeru- 
salem, and believed on Him. Upon this they looked 
greatly pleased ; and answered our inquiries respecting 
the Prophet, saying that He was in Samaria, preaching 
and working miracles, and proclaiming his kingdom. 
When we heard this we rejoiced exceedingly, for we had 
not heard of Him for a long time. From them we 
learned that He had chosen twelve apostles, who always 
went with Him, and were daily taught of Him : and 
also, more recently, seventy others, whom He sent two 
and two into every city, to herald his approach. 

“Will He, then, come to Nain ?” said the widow, 
with emotion. “ I should be willing to die so that I 
could lay my eyes once upon so great and holy a man !” 

“ Yes, He will come hither,” answered the men ; “ and 
when we shall report to Him your hospitality to us, He 
will visit your house ; for He never forgets a cup of 
water given to one of his disciples.” 

The men then departed, again calling the peace of 
God upon our abode. They had not been gone many 
minutes before we heard a great commotion in the mar- 
ket-place near by. Upon going to the house-top, we 
beheld these two men standing upon an elevation, and 
preaching the kingdom of Christ at hand, and calling 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


235 


upon all who heard them to repent of their evil deeds 
and lead a godly life ; for Jesus would one day judge 
them according to the deeds done in the body. Upon 
this, some cried out against Jesus, and others threw 
stones at the two men ; and when we reached the house- 
top, we saw one of them remove his sandals and shake 
the dust from them, saying, in a loud voice : 

“ As ye reject the words of life, your sins remain 
upon you, as I return to you the dust of your city.” 

They then departed, followed by Levites and men of 
the baser sort, who fairly drove them from the town 
This hostility, we found, was caused by an order from 
the Great Sanhedrim, to all the synagogues and priests 
in the land, that they should denounce all who preach 
Jesus of Nazareth as the Christ. 

While we were grieving at this enmity against a pro- 
phet sent from God, whose life is a series of good deeds, 
there entered hastily a fair young maid whose name was 
Ruth. She held an open letter in her hand, and her 
beautiful face glowed rosily with some secret joy, which 
contrasted strangely with the present sadness of our 
own. We knew Ruth well, and loved her as if she had 
been a sister. She was an orphan, and dwelt with her 
uncle, Elihaz, the Levite, a man of influence in the 
town. She was artless, unsuspecting, and very inte- 
resting in all her ways. 

“ What good news, dear Ruth ?” asked Mary, smiling 
in response to her bright smiles. “ A letter from whom ?” 

“ For Sarah,” answered the pretty maid, blushing so 
timidly and consciously, that we half suspected the 
truth. 

“ But that is not telling us from whom,” persevered 
Mary, with a little playfulness. 


236 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


“ You can guess,” she answered, glancing over her 
white shoulder, as she hounded away from us into the 
house. 

We were soon after her, and heard her as she cried, 
on putting the letter into the dear widow’s hand : 

“ From Samuel !” 

“ Grod he blessed,” cried the widow, “ My son liveth, 
and is well.” 

“ Read, dear Sarah,” cried the maiden. “ He was at 
Alexandria when he wrote this, and will soon be at 
home. Oh, happy, happy day !” added the overjoyed 
girl, quite forgetful of our presence. But we had long 
known the story of her pure love for the widow’s son, 
whom we had once seen in Jerusalem, as she had made 
us confidants of all her hopes and fears, and read to us 
all the letters that came from him on the seas ; for he 
went down to trade in the sea in ships, like his father 
before him. We knew, too, that the youthful wanderer 
loved her with as much devotion as she loved him, and 
our hearts sympathized with her in her true affection. 

* “Nay,” said the widow, “my eyes are filled with 
tears of gladness ; I cannot see to read. Do thou read 
it aloud. Let Adina and Mary also know what he wri- 
teth. Is the letter to me, or thee, child ?” 

“ To — to me, dear Sarah,” answered the maiden, with 
a momentary embarrassment. 

“Likely — likely; it is most natural thou shouldest 
get the best part of the epistles. But so I hear and 
know that he is well, it is the same, writeth he to me or 
thee !” 

Ruth then cast a bright look upon us, and thus read 
aloud from the letter from over the sea : 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


237 


“ Dearest Ruth : — I fear you have been impatient at 
my long silence ; but I love you not less, though you do 
not often hear from me. Now that I am safe I will 
Write to you, which I would not do in a state of uncer- 
tainty. Know that after our ship left Cesarea for Crete, 
we were caught by a north wind, and in striving to 
make the east end of the island, we lost way, and were 
driven upon Africa, where we were wrecked, losing all 
our cargo, and the lives of many who sailed with us. 
"With others, I was taken by the barbarians, and carried 
inland to a country of rocky mountains, and there be- 
came a bondman to one of the chief men of the nation 
wherein I was captivated. At length, inspired by a con- 
sciousness of the anguish you and my beloved mother 
must suffer, should you never more hear tidings of me, 
I resolved to effect my escape. After great perils I 
reached the sea-side, and at the expiration of many days, 
by following the coast, I was taken on hoard by a small 
ship of Cyprus, and Conveyed to Alexandria. The ves- 
sel was owned by a rich merchant of my own people, 
Manasseh Benjamin Ben Israel, who, finding me sick 
and destitute of all things, just as I escaped, took me 
home to his hospitable house, and treated me as a son 
till I recovered my health and strength — saying that he 
had a daughter far away in Judea, whom I saw at the 
house of Rabbi Amos, and he hoped that if she ever 
needed the aid of strangers, God Vould repay him by 
making them kind to her.” 

Here Mary and I looked at each other with agitation 
and pleased surprise. 

“ It was my father,” I exclaimed, with emotion ; “ I 
rejoice that his house became thy son’s home, 0 lady. 
Bessed be my father !” 


238 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


When Sarah heard that it was at your house, dear 
father, her son had been so hospitably entertained, she 
embraced me again and again, and entreated me to con- 
vey to you her heartfelt gratitude — which I do herewith. 
And it is, dearest father, because you know and love this 
young man, so providentially thrown upon your care, 
that I shall be so particular in recounting what I am 
about to do concerning him. 

Ruth then ended the reading of the letter, which 
told that he should return in the first ship bound to 
Sidon, or Cesarea, when he hoped to behold her and his 
mother face to face, and to receive as his bride the 
maiden he had so long loved and cherished in his heart. 

Sarah now seemed to be drawn closer to me in affec- 
tion, and also so did Ruth, since they have learned that 
I am the daughter of the noble Jew who did so much 
for Samuel in a strange land. At length, as the day 
drew near for me to leave, in order to return to Jerusa- 
lem, my health being quite invigorated, we were all 
filled with delightful surprise at the appearance of the 
long absent son and lover in the midst of our happy 
circle. 

Mary and I had once seen him, and we were now 
impressed with his manly and sun-browned beauty, his 
bold air, and frank, ingenuous manner. We could not 
but agree that the pretty Ruth had shown fine taste. 
He gave me the pacl$ige which you desired him to for- 
ward to Jerusalem, and thus we all had reason to rejoice 
at his coming. But alas ! my dear father, our joy was 
short-lived ! Little did we anticipate how speedily our 
rejoicings were to end in mourning. The very night of 
his return he was seized with a malignant fever, which 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


239 


he had brought from Africa with him ; and we were all 
overwhelmed with grief. 

It would be impossible to paint the anguish of the 
mother, the heart-rending distress of his betrothed, as 
they bent over his couch, and saw the fierce plague 
burning him, as if he were in a furnace. 

Unconscious of their presence, he raved wildly, and 
sometimes fancied himself suffering thirst on the burn- 
ing sands of Africa ; and at others, battling with the bar- 
barians for his life. All that physicians could do, and his 
friends could do — for he was greatly beloved as well for 
his own sake as for his mother’s and Ruth’s — all was of 
no avail. This morning, the third day after his return, 
he expired, amid the most distressing agonies. Poor 
Ruth ! She cast herself in perfect abandonment of grief 
upon his lifeless and disfigured corpse ; and now that 
they have removed her from the chamber of death, her 
shrieks fill the housfe. His mother sits by him, the 
image of despair, holding his cold hand in hers, and 
uttering wails of woe sad enough to rend a Roman’s 
heart : 

“ My son ! my son ! lost and found, to be torn from 
me forever ! Oh, that I had died for thee ! Thou and 
Ruth would then be happy. Would to God I had died 
for thee, 0 my son, Samuel, my son !” It is like David 
bewailing Absalom. ^ 

I write this sad news to you, dear father, knowing 
how deeply you will mourn his death ; for your letters 
show me that you have formed for him almost a pater- 
nal attachment, carried so far as a promise to provide 
him with a ship to trade in Egypt, after his marriage 
with Ruth shall have taken place. Alas ! instead of a 


240 


THE PEINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


bridal, behold a funeral. Already the bearers are at the 
door, and in a few minutes he will be borne forth upon 
the dead-bier to the burial-place without the city. 

“ Oh,” sighs Mary near me, as I write, “ oh, that Jesus, 
the mighty Prophet, had been here; He could have 
healed him !” John has sent to her a message, saying that 
He is travelling this way, on his mission of healing and 
teaching, and may.be here this evening. But what will 
it avail, dear father ? Even Jesus may not return the 
dead to life ! Oh, if He could have been here yesterday, 
his power over diseases would have enabled Him to save 
his precious life ! But regrets are useless. The noble 
young man is dead, and will live again only in the resur- 
rection of the just. 

I hear the heavy tread of the dead -bearers in the court 
below. The shrieks and wails of the mourning women 
thrill my soul with awe. But above all, pierces the 
wild cry of anguish of the bereayed mother! Ruth’s 
voice is hushed. She has been for the last hour inani- 
mate as marble, sitting with a glazed eye and rigid fea- 
tures gazing on vacancy. Only by her pulse can it be 
said she lives ! Poor maiden ! The blow is too terrible 
for her to bear. 

My cousin Mary has this moment received a small roll 
of parchment, which, from the flush on her cheek, I know 
to be from her betrothed. She smiles sadly, and with 
tears in her eyes hands it to me. 

I have read it, dear father. It reads as follows ; if I 
have time I will transcribe it before the call to follow the 
dead forth to burial is given : 

“ Gadara , beyond Judea . 

“ The bearer, beloved, is one of the disciples of Jesus. 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


241 


His name is Bartimeus. He was blind and poor, and 
subsisted by begging; and, as you see, his sight is re- 
stored, and he insists now on going from town to town 
where he has been known as a blind man, to proclaim 
what Jesus has done for him. He takes this to you. I 
write to say that I wish thou mayest prosper in all things, 
and find the health for which thou and thy cousin sought 
the air of Mount Tabor. I have no greater joy than to 
hear of your welfare. This letter cometh beseeching 
thee, maiden, that as we love one another unfeignedly, 
so may we soon be united in that holy union which G-od 
hath blessed and commanded. I would have thee bear 
in remembrance that thou gavest thy promise hereto 
when last we met at Nazareth. But, having much to 
say hereupon, I will not commit it to paper and ink ; 
but by to-morrow, or the day after, I trust to come 
to you, and speak with you, dearly beloved, face to 
face, upon those things which come now to my lips. 
Farewell, lady, and peace be with you, and all in your 
house. Greet thy friends in my name, letting them 
know that we shall shortly be with you ; also Amos, 
your father, now our dear brother in the Lord. There 
are many things which I have seen and heard touching 
my holy Master, Jesus, and his holy mission to the world, 
which I will declare unto you when we meet, that you 
also may have fellowship with us in those things which 
we know and believe concerning Him. My Master 
saluteth thee and all in your house ; Kabbi Amos, also, 
greeteth thee with a kiss. This is the second epistle I 
have written unto you from this place.” 

“ Oh, that the mighty Prophet had come one day 
sooner !” cried Mary. “ What woe and anguish would 
11 


242 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID: 


have heen spared poor Ruth and his mother ! But the 
will of Jehovah be done.” 

We hear now, dear father, the voice of the governor 
of the funeral, bidding us come down to bury the 
dead. 

Farewell, my father. I know you will shed a tear 
to the memory of the noble youth whose death has this 
day filled all Nain with mourning. As I look from the 
lattice, I see the concourse of people to be immense, fill- 
ing all the street. Now, may the (rod of our father 
Abraham preserve and keep you, and suffer us once more 
to meet face to face in joy and peace. 

Your dutiful and sorrowful daughter, 

Adina. 


LETTER XXI. 

My Dearest Father : 

I seize my pen, which I laid down an hour ago, in 
order to follow to his burial the son of our hostess, to re- 
count to you one of the most extraordinary things wdiich 
ever happened, and which fills us all with such joy and 
wonder, that I fear my trembling fingers will scarcely 
express legibly what I have to tell you. 

As I told you in my letter just finished, I was call- 
ed away to accompany the weeping mother to the 
burial-place outside of the gates. But when I reached the 
courtyard where the body of her son lay upon a bier, 
which the bearers had already raised upon their shoulders, 
the deep grief of poor Ruth overcame her whollv. and I 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


24P 


led her to her room, where she sank insensible upon her 
couch. I could not leave her in her situation, and the 
procession went forth from the house without me, — Mary, 
as she walked, supporting upon her arm the bereaved 
mother, clad in her mourning weeds. 

As the funeral train passed the lattice, it seemed end- 
less, so vast a number of people accompanied the body, 
to do honor to a widow in Israel. At length it passed 
by, and I was left alone with the motionless Ruth. 
She seemed to sleep, though every few moments she 
\yould murmur the name of the dead. I sat by her, re- 
flecting upon the mysterious ways of Grod in bringing 
this widow’s son safely home from the thousand dangers 
to which he had been exposed, from shipwreck and bond- 
age, to gladden her soul with his presence for a few hours, 
and then to die in her arms ! As I gazed on the mar- 
ble countenance of the bereaved maiden, I could not but 
pray that she might never recover from her swoon, to re- 
vive to the bitter realization of her loss, and the renewal 
of her grief. 

Suddenly I heard a very great shout. I started, and 
hastened to the lattice. It was repeated louder, and 
with a glad tone, that showed me that it was a. shout of 
joy. It seemed to come from beyond the city walls, and 
from a hundred voices raised in unison. I knew that 
the house-top overlooked the walls, and seeing Ruth 
moved not, I ascended rapidly to the parapet, the shouts 
and glad cries still increasing as I went up, and exciting 
my wonder and curiosity. Upon reaching the flat roof, 
and stepping upon the parapet, I saw coming along the 
street, towards the house, with the speed of the ante, 
lope, Elec, our Gribeonite slave. He was waving his 


244 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


hands wildly, and crying out something which I could 
not distinctly hear. Behind him I saw two youths run- 
ning also, appearing to he the hearers of some great 
tidings. 

I knew something wonderful must have occurred, hut 
could not divine what it could he. On looking towards 
the gate, from which direction the shouts at intervals 
continued to approach, I discovered on the hill-side of 
the cemetery many people crowded together, and evi- 
dently surrounding some person in their midst ; for the 
whole order of the procession was broken up. The biej 
I could not discern, nor could I comprehend how the 
solemnity of the march of the funeral train was suddenly 
changed to a confused multitude, rending the sky with 
loud acclamations. The whole body of people was press- 
ing back towards the city. The persons whom I had 
first seen running along the street, now made themselves 
audible as they drew nigher. 

“ He is alive ! he is alive !” shouted Elec. 

“ He has been raised from the dead !” cried the young 
man next behind him. 

“ He lives, and is walking back to the city !” called 
the third, to those who, like me, had run to their house- 
tops to know the meaning of the uproar we heard. 

“ Who — who is alive ?” I eagerly demanded of Elee, 
as he passed beneath the parapet. “ What is this shout- 
ing, 0 Elec?” 

He looked up to me with a face expressive of the 
keenest delight, mixed with awe, and said : 

“ Young Rabbi Samuel is come to life ! He is no 
longer dead. You will soon see him, for they are escort- 
ing him back to the city, and everybody is mad with 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


245 


0 

joy. Where is Ruth, the maiden ? I am come to tell 
her the glorious news.” 

With emotion that I cannot describe, hardly believing 
what I heard, I hastened to Ruth, in order to prevent 
the effects of too sudden joy. Upon reaching the apart- 
ment, I found that the voice of Elec, who had shouted 
the news of which he was the hearer into her ears, had 
aroused her from her stupor of grief. She was looking 
at him wildly and incomprehensibly. I ran to her, and 
folding her in my arms, said : 

Dear Ruth, there is news — good news ! It must he 
true ! Hear the shouts of gladness in all the town !” 

“ Lives !” she repeated, shaking her head ; “ No — no — 
no ! Yes, there /” she said, raising her beautiful, glit- 
tering eyes to heaven, and pointing upward. 

“ But on earth also,” cried Elec, with positiveness. “ T 
saw him sit up, and heard him speak, as well, as ever he 
was !” 

“ How was it? Let me know all,” I cried. 

“ How ? Who could have done such a miracle hut 
the mighty Prophet we saw at Jerusalem ?” he an- 
swered. 

“ Jesus ?” I exclaimed, with joy. 

“ Who else could it he? Yes; he met the bier just 
outside the . But here they come !” 

Elec was interrupted in his narrative by the increased 
noise of voices in the streets, and the tramp of hun- 
dreds of feet. The next moment the room was filled 
with a crowd of the most excited persons, some weep- 
ing, some laughing, as if beside themselves. In their 
midst I beheld Samuel walking, alive and well ! his 
mother clinging to him, like a vine about an oak. 


246 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


“.Where is Ruth?” he cried. “Oh! where is she? 
Let me make her happy with my presence.” 

I gazed upon him with awe, as if I had seen a spirit. 

Ruth no sooner heard his voice than she uttered a 
shriek of joy. “ He lives — he indeed lives !” and spring- 
ing forward, she was saved from falling to the ground 
by being clasped to his manly breast. 

“ Let us kneel and thank God !” he said. 

For a few moments the scene was solemn and touch- 
ing, beyond any spectacle ever exhibited on earth. The 
newly-risen frbm the dead knelt in the midst of the floor, 
with his mother on his right, leaning her head upon his 
shoulder, and Ruth clasped in his left arm, and fast 
embracing him, as if he were an angel, who would else 
spread his wings and ascend, leaving her forever. Mary 
and I knelt by her side, while all the people bowed their 
heads in worship, as he lifted up his voice in grateful 
acknowledgments to the Giver of life and health, for 
restoring both to him. When he had performed this first 
sacred duty, he rose to his feet and received all our em- 
braces. Hundreds came in to see his face, and every 
tongue was eloquent in praise of the power of Jesus. 

“ And where is the holy prophet ?” I asked of Mary. 
“ Shall He be forgotten amid all our joy!” 

“We thanked Him there with all our hearts, and 
bathed his hands with tears of gratitude,” she answered ; 
“ but when they would have brought Him into the city 
in triumph, He conveyed himself away in the confusion, 
and no one could see aught of Him. But John, who 
was with Him, told me he would come into the city after 
quiet was restored, by-and-by, and he would bring Him 
to our abode.” 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


247 


“ Oh ! I shall then behold Him, and thank Him also,” 
I cried. “ Make known to me, Mary, the particulars of 
this wonderful miracle,” I asked of her ; for though I 
saw Samuel now seated, and even eating in the room 
food served by his glad mother and the happy Ruth, 
while all looked on to see if he really ate, and, though I 
believed in the power of Jesus to do all things, yet I 
could hardly realize that He whom I had beheld carried 
out a dead man on his bier, I saw now seated at table, 
partaking of food, alive and well. 

“I will tell thee all,” answered Mary, whose face 
shone with a holy light, radiating from her intense hap- 
piness ; and, leading me apart, she spoke thus : 

“ As we went weeping forth, slowly following the 
bier, and had passed the gate, we saw coming along the 
path through the valley leading to Tabor, a party of 
twelve or thirteen men on foot. They were followed 
by a crowd of men, women, and children from the coun- 
try, and were so journeying that they would meet us 
at the crossing of the stone bridge. Hearing some 
one say aloud, 1 It is the Prophet of Nazareth, with his 
disciples,’ I looked earnestly forward, and joyfully re- 
cognized Jesus at their head, with John walking by his 
side. 

“ 1 Oh, that Jesus had been in Nain, when thy son 
was sick !’ I said to the widow, pointing Him out to her, 
as He and his company stopped at the entrance to the 
bridge, and drew to one side, the way being too narrow 
for both parties to cross at the same time. Upon looking 
up and seeing Him, and marking his benign countenance, 
and how sorrowfully He gazed upon the widow, and re- 
collecting how He might have prevented her son’s dying, 


248 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


had He been in Nain, the poor lady could no longer com- 
mand her grief, which broke forth afresh ; and covering 
her face with her veil, she wept so violently that all eyes 
were piteously fastened upon her. I observed that the 
holy Prophet’s gaze rested upon her with compassion ; 
and as the*widow came opposite where He stood, He ad- 
vanced a step towards us, and said, in a voice of thril- 
ling sympathy : 

44 4 Weep not, mother. Thy son shall live again !’ 

44 4 1 know it, 0 Rabboni, at the last day,’ she an- 
swered. 4 He was so noble — so young — he was all to 
me, and had been so many months absent in far lands, 
only to come home to die. I know that thou art a Pro- 
phet come from Grod, and that all good works follow thee. 
Oh, if thou hadst been here my son need not have died. 
Thy word would have healed him. But now he is dead ! 
dead ! dead !’ 

44 The bereaved mother then poured forth her tears 
afresh. 

44 4 Woman, weep not. I will restore thy son!’ 

4 4 4 What saith he ?’ cried some Pharisees who were in 
the funeral ; 4 that he will raise a dead man ? This is 
going too far. Hod only can raise the dead.’ And they 
smiled and scoffed. 

44 But Jesus laid his hand upon the pall over the body, 
and said to those who bore the corpse : 

4 4 4 Rest the bier upon the ground.’ 

44 They instantly stood still and obeyed Plim. He 
then advanced amid a hushed silence, and uncover- 
ing the marble visage, touched the hand of the dead 
young man, and said, in a loud and commanding 
voice : 








J 



OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


249 


“ ‘ Young man, I say unto thee, Arise !’ 

“ There was a moment’s painful stillness through the 
vast multitude. Every eye was fixed upon the bier. 
The voice was heard by the spirit of the dead, and 
it came back to his body. There was at first visible a 
living, trembling emotion of the hitherto motionless 
corpse ! color flushed the livid cheek ; the eyelids opened, 
and he fixed his eyes on Jesus ; then he raised his hand, 
and his lips moved ! The next moment he sat up 
on the bier, and spake aloud in his natural voice, say- 
ing: 

“ i Lo ! here I am.’ 

“ Jesus then took him by the hand, and assisting him 
to alight upon his feet from the bier, led him to his 
mother, and delivered him to her, saying : 1 Woman, 
behold thy son !’ 

“ Upon seeing this miracle, the people shouted with 
joy and wonder, and there came a great fear on us all ; 
and, lifting up their voices, they who so lately mourned 
and bewailed the dead, glorified Grod, saying, ‘ Grod has 
indeed visited his people Israel. A great prophet is risen 
up among us. The Messias is come, and Jesus is the 
very Christ, with the keys of death and hell.’ 

“ With such words and exclamations, and great shouts 
of rejoicing, the multitude surrounded the restored young 
man, and proceeded to escort him back to the city ; the 
great mass of the people being attracted more by the 
raised-to-life than by the august Person by whose act it 
had been done. I sought out Jesus to cast myself at 
his feet, but He shrunk from the homage and gratitude 
which his mercy to us had awakened. Thus, humility 
is an element of all power.” 

11 * 


250 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


Such, my dear father, is the narrative of the restora- 
tion to life again of Samuel, the son of Sarah, widow of 
Nain. I give it to you in its simple outlines. It will 
not fail to command your belief. The miracle was per- 
formed in open day, in the presence of thousands. The 
opposers of Jesus, the hostile Scribes and Pharisees, do 
not deny the miracle, for they were convinced of the 
reality of the death of the young man ; for he died, as I 
have before said, of the plague, and his corpse was a 
loathsome sight to those who beheld it ; yet, wonderful 
to relate, when he was restored to life by the power of 
Jesus, he sat up free from all external signs of the putrid 
disease, his skin fair and smooth, and his whole aspect 
that of ruddy health and manly beauty. No man could 
doubt, therefore, that a miracle had been performed, and 
one of the most extraordinary kind ; for never was it 
heard before that the dead were restored to life by the 
power of a man. This miracle of the restoration from the 
dead of Samuel, the widow’s son, has caused hundreds 
this day to confess his name, and to believe in Him as 
the anointed Shiloh of Israel. 

Since writing the above, I have conversed with 
Samuel upon the consciousness which he had of being 
dead. He replies that it seemed to him that he had 
been in a dream, the chain of which was now broken, 
and could not be recollected again. “ Fragments,” said 
he, “ of a delightful condition ; of splendor ; of glory and 
bliss ; of music ineffable, and scenes indescribable, passed 
before my mind for a few moments after standing upon 
my feet ; but they presently melted away, and I can 
now only recollect that there were such ! When I found 
nyself upon the bier, I felt no surprise ; for the fact that 


OR, THREE ^TEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


251 


I was being taken to my burial seemed instinctively to 
present itself to my re-animated consciousness.” Many 
of the doctors have been to see him through the day, 
and have put profound questions to him touching the 
state of the soul out of the body ; but he could give them 
no satisfaction, all appearing to him like shining frag- 
ments of a gorgeous vision. 

Jesus came into the town during the evening, and 
abode with us. You should have witnessed how the 
gratitude of the happy mother, and of the no less happy 
Ruth, exhibited itself. They anticipated his every wish, 
and seemed to desire that he had a thousand wants, that 
they might administer to them. But his life is simple — 
his wants few. He thinks little of comforts ; and so 
that he can speak of the kingdom of Grod to those about 
Him, he forgets to partake of the food placed before Him. 
We also forget all things else when He speaks, and stand 
or sit around Him, drinking in the rich eloquence of his 
wise lips. The more I see of Him, dear father, the more 
I stand in awe of Him, and love Him. 

Mary is to-morrow to become the bride of John, and 
Jesus will be present at the wedding, for while He 
severely rebukes sin and folly, He sanctifies by his pres- 
ence the holy rite of marriage, which Grod ordained. 
Next month, the happy Ruth will wed the noble youth 
whom she has so wonderfully received alive from the 
dead. 

On the eve of the eighth day from this I shall depart 
hence, with John and Mary, for Jerusalem, whence I will 
write you again. 

Your loving daughter, 


Adina. 


252 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE, OF DAVID : 


LETTER XXII. 

Once more, my dear father, I address a letter to yon 
from this holy city. This morning when I awoke at the 
sound of the silver trumpets of the priests, ringing melo- 
diously from the top of Mount Moriah, I experienced 
anew that profound devotion which the children of Abra- 
ham must always feel in the city of Grod, and in the 
presence of His very Temple. As I ascended the roof 
of the house to prayer, the gorgeous pile of the Temple 
towered heavenward from the summit of Moriah, in all 
the magnificence of its celestial beauty. The azure 
wreaths of incense were already curling upward into 
the still skies, while the murky cloud sent up by the 
burnt sacrifice rolled darkly above the pinnacle, cast- 
ing an awful shade above the Temple. As it sailed 
onward, and hung above the valley of Kedron, the sun 
rose and gilded its massive edges as if they had been 
turned out with gold. Louder and clearer rang the 
trumpets, and every house-top soon had its group of 
worshippers, while along the streets rolled the tide of peo- 
ple, some leading lambs, others driving goats before them, 
others carrying doves in their bosom, to be offered to the 
Lord by the priest. 

It was a joyous morning to me, dear father, for 
iEmilius, the noble Roman Prefect, was this day volun- 


OE, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


253 


tarily to present himself at the Temple to he made a prose- 
lyte to the holy faith of Israel. I will not now detain 
yon by recording the arguments by which he was led to 
renounce idolatry and become a Jew ! Pilate, the Pro- 
curator, encouraged, instead of opposing it, believing 
that it would conciliate the Jews in favor of the Romans : 
he resolved, therefore, to grace the rite with his presence. 
I could see him proudly rolling onward toward the Tem- 
ple in his gilded chariot, escorted by a score of guards, 
blazing in their Grecian cuirasses. I sought in vain 
the form of iEmilius ; hut he reached the Temple by 
another street. The morning was, therefore, additionally 
lovely to me. I thought I had never seen the olive 
groves, on the hill-side beyond the king’s gardens, so 
green, nor the harvest so yellow, as they undulated in 
the soft breeze of the opening morn. The lofty palms 
everywhere appeared to bend and wave their verdant 
fans with joyous motion. The birds in the palace gar- 
dens sang sweeter and louder ; and Jerusalem itself 
seemed more beautiful than ever. 

"While I was gazing upon the scene, and adoring God, 
and thanking Him for the conversion of iEmilius, Rabbi 
Amos came, and said that he would take us to the Tem- 
ple, for he was at leisure on that morning. We were 
soon on our way climbing the paved pathway to Moriah. 
Oh, how sublimely towered the divine Temple above 
our heads, seemingly lost in the blue of the far heaven ! 
The great gates opening North and South to the East 
and West were thronged with the multitude pressing 
through ; while from the galleries above each gate pealed 
forth continuously the clear-voiced trumpets of God in 
ceaseless reverberation. My uncle pointed out to me 


254 


THE PKINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


the massive doors, all overlaid with sheets of beaten gold ; 
and the floor of green marble on which we trode. He 
hade me notice the costly entablature of colored stones, 
exquisitely worked with the Grecian’s chisel ; and es- 
pecially the roof of fretted silver, set with precious stones, 
the onyx, beryl, sapphire, carbuncle, and jasper. I 
was dazzled by the magnificence, and awed by the vast 
extent of the space of splendor surrounding me ; while 
ten thousands of people were to be seen moving towards 
the altar of sacrifice. From that superb court I was 
led into a hall nearly a hundred cubits in length, its 
ceiling of pure gold sustained by a thousand and one 
columns of porphyry and white marble, ranged alter- 
nately. Such richness I had never conceived of, or 
thought possible on earth. But when Rabbi Amos ex- 
plained that they all were made after patterns of hea- 
venly things, I ceased to marvel, and only wished I 
might one day dwell in those celestial abodes, where, the 
holy Jesus teaches us, are mansions not made with 
hands, of endless duration, reserved for the good and 
virtuous. 

I was not permitted to approach the sacred chamber, 
where stood the four thousand vessels of gold of Ophir, 
used in the sacrifices on great days ; and this being a 
high day, I saw no less than six hundred priests stand- 
ing about the altar, each with a golden censer in his 
hand. Beyond is the holy ark of the covenant, over 
which the cherubim hovers, their wings meeting, and be- 
tween them is the mercy-seat ! As this was the Holy of 
Holies I was not permitted to see it ; but its position 
was pointed out to me within the veil, which conceals 
from all eyes but that of the High Priest once a year, the 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


255 


place of G-od’s throne on the earth, alas, now left vacant 
since the glory of the Shechinah departed from the Holy 
of Holies ! 

The air of the vast Temple was delicious with the 
fragrance of burning frankincense. As the victims hied, 
and the smoke ascended, the people fell on their faces 
and worshipped God. It was an impressive scene, and 
made my heart stand still. I seemed to expect to hear 
the voice of Jehovah breaking the stillness that followed. 
But after a few moments’ silence, a startling trumpet 
note thrilled every soul in the countless multitude. It 
was followed by a peal of music that shook the air, from 
a choir of two thousand singers, male and female, of the 
sons and daughters of Levi, who served in the Temple. 
Entering from the southern court, they advanced in 
long procession, singing sacred chants, and playing on 
sacbut and harp, psalter and nebbie, chinna and tym- 
pana. As they ascended to the choir, their voices, min- 
gling with the instruments, filled all the Temple. I 
never heard before such sublime harmony; especially 
when, on reaching the elevated choir, a thousand Le- 
vites, with manly voices, joined them, and the whole 
company chanted one of the sublimest of the Psalms of 
David. I was overcome — my senses dissolved in a sea 
of seraphic sounds ; my heart swelled as if it would 
break, and I found relief only in a flood of tears. 

When the chant was concluded, the whole multitude 
responded, “ Amen, and Amen,” like the deep voice of a 
mighty wind suddenly shaking the foundations of the 
Temple. 

At length I beheld a train of priests following the 
High Priest, as he marched thrice around the altar. In 


256 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 

that procession I discovered a company of proselytes 
escorted by twelve aged Levites, with long snowy beards, 
and clad in vestments of the purest white. Among the 
proselytes, which numbered full a score of men, from 
almost every nation, I discerned the tall and noble figure 
of the Roman iEmilius. He was robed in a black gar- 
ment from head to foot. But upon approaching the 
baptismal basin, two young priests removed this outer 
sable dress, and robed him in white. I then saw him 
baptized into the family of Abraham, and a new name 
given him, that of Eleazer. I heard the silver trumpets 
proclaim the conversion, and the multitude shouting 
their joy ! 

Of the rest of the ceremony I have no recollection, as, 
after the baptism of iEmilius, I was too happy to see or 
think of any one else. There stands now, dear father, 
no further bar to our union. iEmilius is become a Jew, 
and henceforth will worship the God of our fathers ! I 
know you said, in your last letter to me, that you feared 
the noble young Roman was led by his attachment to 
me to renounce his religion, and not from honest convic- 
tion of its truth and of its falsehood. But I am assured, 
dear father, that he acts from conviction. The conver- 
sations he has had with me, and with Rabbi Amos, and 
other of the learned doctors of our nation, whom he has 
met at our house, with the careful reading of the Scrip- 
tures of the Prophets, have not only convinced him that 
the Lord God of Israel is the only God of the whole 
earth, but that the worshippers of idols are the worship- 
pers of Satan, who hath set up that religion in opposi- 
tion to that of the true God. 

While I was lifting up my heart in gratitude for the 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


257 


happy conversion of .ZEmilius, and while the Jews were 
crowding about him to extend to him the hand of fel- 
lowship, rejoicing that so noted a person should embrace 
our faith, uncle Amos drew my attention by exclaiming 
with gladness : 

“ Behold ! there is Jesus, the Prophet!” 

u Where ?” I cried, trying to discover the divine Pro- 
phet among the multitude. 

“ Standing by yonder pillar of porphyry. John is on 
one side of Him and Peter on the other. He is pointing 
to the altar, and explaining or teaching them something. 
Let us try and approach Him !” 

We at once made our way, but with difficulty, towards 
the spot where we had discovered Him. The rumor that 
the Christ was in the Temple rapidly spread, and the 
whole multitude pressed towards the same point. At 
length we attained our object so as to get within a 
few feet of Him. Here a tall, richly attired Greek, 
addressed Rabbi Amos, saying : 

“ Sir, tell me who that youthful Jew is, whose coun- 
tenance is stamped with firmness and benevolence, so 
finely combined in its expression ; w^iose air possesses 
such dignity and wisdom ; whose noble eyes seem filled 
with a holy sadness, and whose glance is full of inno- 
cence and sweetness. He seems born to love men and 
to command them. All seek to approach him. Pray, 
sir, who is he ?” 

“ That, 0 stranger, is Jesus of Nazareth, the Jewish 
Prophet,” answered Uncle Amos, delighted to point Him 
out to a foreigner. 

“ Then am I well rewarded for my journey in turning 
aside to Jerusalem,” answered the Grecian. I have 


258 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


even heard of his fame in Macedonia, and am rejoiced 
to behold Him. Think you He will do some great 
miracle ?” 

“ He performs miracles not to gratify curiosity, but 
to bear testimony to the truths He teaches, that they 
are delivered to Him of Grod. Hark ! He speaks,” cried 
my uncle. 

Every voice was hushed, as that of Jesus rose clear 
and sweet, and thrilling like a celestial clarion speaking. 
And he preached, dear father, a sermon so full of wisdom, 
of love to man, of love to Grod, of knowledge of our 
hearts, of divine and convincing power, that thousands 
wept ; thousands were chained to the spot with awe and 
delight, and all were moved as if an angel had addressed 
them. They cried, “ Never man spake like this man 1” 
and certainly never human lips dispensed such wisdom. 

When He had ended, the priests, seeing that he had 
carried the hearts of all the people, were greatly enraged, 
and not being able to vent their hatred and fear in any 
other way, they hired a vile person by the name of Gra- 
zeel, a robber, who, taking one of the blood-stained sacri- 
ficing knives by the altar, crept towards Him behind* 
the column, to assassinate Him. The robber drew near, 
and securing a favorable position to execute the deed, 
raised his hand to strike the Prophet from behind, when 
Jesus, turning his head, arrested the hand of the assas- 
sin in mid-air, by a look ! Unable to move a muscle, 
Grazeel stood betrayed to all eyes in this murderous 
attitude, like a statue of stone. 

“ Return to those who hired thee. My hour is not 
yet come ; nor can they have any power over me until 
my Father’s will be fulfilled concerning me.” 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


259 


The assassin "bowed his head with deep humility ; the 
knife dropped from his hand and rang upon the marble 
floor ; and he sank at Jesus’ feet, imploring forgiveness. 
The people would instantly have torn Grazeel in pieces ; 
hut Jesus said : 

“Let him depart in peace. The day shall come when 
he will he willing to lay down his life to save mine. Ye, 
priests, go about to kill me,” he added, fixing his clear 
gaze upon the group which had sent Grazeel. “ For 
what do ye seek my life ? Because Lbear testimony to 
the wickedness of your own. Ye lay heavy burdens on 
the people, and will not lift them with one of your fin- 
gers. I have come to my own, and to my Temple, and 
ye receive me not. The day cometh when this Temple 
shall he thrown down, and not one stone left upon an- 
other ; and some \^ho hear me shall behold and mourn 
in that day. Oh, Jerusalem, thou that killest the pro- 
phets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how oft 
would I have gathered thy children together as a hen 
gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would 
not. Thou shalt he left desolate and cast out among 
cities, because thou knewest not the day of thy visita- 
tion. But ye, who would escape these troubles, seek 
to enter my kingdom, which shall have no end ; fly to 
the Jerusalem which is above, and which is above all, 
whose foundation is eternal, and whose Temple is the 
Lord G-od Almighty, who is also the light and glory 
thereof.” 

Upon hearing these words, there arose a great cry from 
ten thousand voices : 

“ Hail to Jesus, the king of Israel and Judah ! Ho- 
sanna to the Prince of David ! We will have no king but 
Jesus.” 


260 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


At this shout, which was caught and repeated beyond 
the four gates of the Temple, the priests cried aloud that 
the people were in insurrection. 

Pilate, who was, with his guard, just leaving the Court 
of the Grentiles, hearing it, turned to ask what it meant. 
One of the priests, desirous of having Jesus slain, quick- 
ly answered, “ That the people had proclaimed Jesus, 
the Nazarene, king,” and that he was already placing 
himself at the head of the people. 

Hearing this, Pilate sent off messengers to the Castle 
of David for soldiers, and with his body-guard turned 
hack to the Temple gate, charging the people sword in 
hand. 

The tumult was now fearful, and the bloodshed would 
have been great, hut Jesus suddenly appeared before 
him — none saw how He had reached the place — and 
said : 

“0 Roman! I seek no kingdom but such as my 
Father hath given me. Neither thy nower nor thy mas- 
ter’s is now in peril. My kingdom not of this 
world.” 

Pilate was seen to bend his proud head with lovv obei- 
sance before the Prophet, and said graciously : 

“I have no wish to arrest thee. Thy word, 0 Prophet, 
is sufficient for me. Of thee I have hitherto heard much. 
Wilt thou come with me to my palace, and let me hear 
thee, and see some miracle ?” 

“ Thou shalt see me in thy palace, but not to-day ; 
and thou shalt behold a miracle, but not now.” 

When Jesus had thus said, He withdrew himself 
from Pilate’s presence ; and those who would have 
sought Him to make Him a king could nowhere discover 
Him. 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


261 


The result of this attempt of the people to make the 
Prophet their king, and under his direction to overthrow 
the Roman power, is, that the Roman authorities, insti- 
gated by Annas and the priests, look upon Jesus with 
eyes of jealousy ; and Pilate this morning told a deputa- 
tion of priests, who waited on him to petition him to ar- 
rest and imprison the Prophet, that on the first proof they 
could bring him of his hostility to Caesar, he would send 
soldiers to take Him. To-day Jesus was refreshing 
himself in our house, when several Scribes and Pharisees 
came in. I saw by their dark looks they meditated evil ; 
and secretly sent Elec with a message to ZEmilius, (now 
Eleazer,) asking him to be at hand to protect Jesus; 
for JEmilius is devoted to Him, as we are, and Jesus 
takes delight in teaching him the things of the kingdom 
of God. 

Jesus, knowing the hearts of these bad men, said to 
them, after they had seated themselves, and remained 
some minutes in silence : 

“ Wherefore are ye come ?” 

“ Master,” said Jehoram, one of the chief Scribes, “ we 
know that thou art a Teacher come from God, and fear- 
est no man, nor regardest the person of any man.” 

“ Yes,” added Zadoc, a Levite of great fame among 
the people, “ we have heard how boldly thou speakest at 
all times ; and that thou shrinkest from no man’s power 
— that not even Pilate, nor Herod, yea, nor Caesar, could 
make thee refrain from what thou choosest to utter. Is 
it lawful for us, Jews, the peculiar nation of God, to 
pay tribute to Caesar, who is an idolator ? Is it lawful 
for us to obey the laws of Pilate, rather than of Moses ? 
We ask this as Jews to a Jew. Tell us frankly ; for thou 
fearest not the face of any man.” 


262 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


“ Let the question rest simply upon the tribute to 
the Romans,” answered Jehoram. “ Master, ought 
we, the holy nation, to give tribute to the Emperor 
Csesar ?” 

Jesus looked fixedly upon them, as if He read their 
wicked designs, and said : 

“ Show me the tribute money.” 

Zadoo handed Him a penny, the Roman coin sent into 
Judea by Csesar, as our currency, and which we return 
to Rome again in tribute. When Jesus had taken the 
money, He looked at the head of Augustus stamped upon 
one side, and then turning to them, as they waited 
breathlessly for his answer, said : 

“ Whose image and whose name is here impressed ?” 

“ Caesar’s,” eagerly answered the whole party. 

*• Then render unto Csesar the things that be Caesar’s, 
and unto Grod the things that be Gfod’s,” was his calm 
and wonderful answer. 

I breathed again ; for I feared He would answer 
openly that tribute ought not to be paid, which they 
hoped He would do, when they would immediately 
have accused Him to Pilate as teaching that we ought 
not to pay tribute to Rome, and so fomenting rebel- 
lion. 

But the divine wisdom of his answer relieved all our 
minds ; while the Scribes and Levites, his enemies, looked 
upon Him with amazement, interchanged glances of 
conscious defeat, and left the house. 

Such, dear father, is his wisdom that his enemies 
cannot triumph over Him. Oh, that you could see Him 
and hear Him. It is worth a visit from Egypt to Jeru- 
salem to listen to Him, and behold his miracles, of which 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


263 


he every day performs one or more ; till disease, deform- 
ity, leprosy, and sickness, seem almost to have disap- 
peared from Jerusalem and all Judea. 

When iEmilius arrived, and found Jesus alone with 
our family, unharmed, he spoke freely his satisfaction. 

“ iEmilius,” said Jesus to him, “ thou art now become 
a Jew. One step more, and thou shalt enter the king- 
dom of heaven.” 

“ What step, dear master?” he asked, earnestly. 

“ Thou must be baptized with the Holy Ghost, and 
thou shalt be partaker of eternal life.” 

“ Rabboni,” said iEmilius, “ I verily thought that to 
be baptized a proselyte of thy people was to be Moses’ 
disciple, and to have the seal of life eternal. Have I 
still more to do ?” 

“ To be my disciple, iEmilius. I am the end of tho 
Law of Moses. He that believeth in Me, though he 
were dead, yet shall he live. I give eternal life to as many 
as believe in Me. But thou knowest not now what I 
say ; thou shalt know hereafter.” 

iEmilius would have questioned him further, but 
Jesus left him, and went forth into the garden, where 
He remained late at night in meditation and prayer. 

I am rejoiced, dear father, that you permit me to 
accompany my uncle Amos to Cesarea. We leave after 
the new moon. Believing, my dearest father, that all I 
have written you touching Jesus has not been in vain, 
and that you are, with me and thousands in Israel, 
ready to believe that He is the Christ, the Deliverer of 
Jacob, 

I remain your affectionate daughter, 

Adina. 


264 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


LETTER XXIII. 

My Dear Father : 

I have received with joy your letter, in which you 
say you shall leave Egypt with the next passover cara- 
van, in order to visit Jerusalem. Already you must he 
on the way, and are by this time near Graza, where my 
uncle Amos says the caravan will halt to-morrow night. 
My heart bounds to embrace you, and my eyes fill with 
bright tears at the thought that I shall once more gaze 
upon your noble countenance, and hear the loved tones 
of your paternal voice. My happiness is augmented to 
know that you will be here while Jesus is in the city ; 
for it is said, and John, Mary’s husband, asserts it, that 
He will certainly be at the Passover. I wish, dear 
father, oh, I wish you to see Him, because I feel that you 
would be unable to resist the conviction that He is the 
very Messias of Grod, of whom Moses and the Prophets 
wrote. But if his words, that divine eloquence and 
wisdom which flow from his sacred lips, do not convince 
you, the miracles He will do in proof of his mission will 
be resistless. These miracles are daily becoming more 
and more mighty and amazing. For himself, for his 
own aggrandizement, and personal safety, (for often has 
his life been put in peril by his foes,) He never resorts 
to this divine power ; but to give attestation to his 
words of truth that He came from G-od, to heal the suf- 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


265 


fering, to relieve the distressed, He daily performs them. 
If man never spake like Him, man never worked won- 
ders such as He works. He has converted water into 
wine ; healed by a word the dying son of the nobleman, 
Chuza, Herod’s first officer of his household, though 
many leagues from him at the time ; He stilled a fear- 
ful tempest on the sea of Tiberius, by speaking thereto 
and commanding peace ! In the country of the Gfadarenes 
He cast out unclean spirits from many demoniacs, who, 
in coming out of the bodies of those they had possessed, 
acknowledged his power, and confessed Him, as if against 
their will, to he the Christ, the son of David. Of the 
raising of the daughter of the ruler Jairus, and of the 
son of the widow at Nain, I have already written you. 
Besides these miracles of healing and raising from the 
dead, He has been seen walking upon the sea a league 
from the shore, as firmly as if He trode upon a floor of 
porphyry; which many of the fishermen seeing, they 
were filled with terror, and made all sail to flee to the 
land, where they spread it abroad. He has restored 
sight to the blind, whose eyes were wholly gone ; and 
created new limbs where legs and arms had been lost 
for years. Last week, Eli, the paralytic, whom you 
knew, a scribe of the Levites, whose hand has been 
withered nine years, so that he had been dependent on 
the alms of the worshippers in the Temple for his bread, 
hearing of the power of Jesus, sought Him at the house 
of uncle Amos, where He was abiding ; for it was our 
blessed privilege to have Him our guest, for John, his 
beloved disciple, now the husband of the fair daughter of 
uncle Amos, my gentle cousin Mary, always led the 
Prophet to our house. 


12 


266 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID 


Jesus was reclining with our family at the evening 
meal, at the close of the day on which the uproar had 
taken place in the Temple, as described in my last letter 
but one, when Eli came and stood within the door. 
Humble and doubting, his knees trembled, and he timid- 
ly and wistfully looked towards Jesus, but did not speak. 
I knew at once what the afflicted man came for, and 
approached him, saying': “ Fear not, Eli; ask Him, and 
He will make thee whole !” 

“Ah, lady, I fear it is too much happiness for me to 
expect. It is more than I dare dream of. But I have 
come to Him, hoping.” His voice trembled, and tears 
dropped from his eyes, as he thought of his family in 
poverty, and of his own helplessness. “ How shall I 
speak to the great Prophet, daughter — I, a beggar at the 
gate of the Temple ? Speak for me, and the Lord shall 
bless thee, child. My tongue cleaves to the roof of my 

mouth !” 

✓ 

Jesus did not see the poor man, his face being turned 
towards Rabbi Amos, to whom He was explaining the 
meaning of the sacrifice of Abel. But leaving this con- 
versation, He said, in a gentle voice, without turning 
round : 

“ Come to me, Eli, and ask what is in thy heart, and 
fear not ; for if thou believest, thou shalt receive all thy 
wish !” 

At this Eli ran forward, and casting himself at Jesus’ 
feet, kissed them and said : “ Rabboni, I am a poor, sin- 
ful man ; I believe that thou art the Christ the Son of 
the Blessed !” 

“ Dost thou believe, Eli, that I have power to 
make thee whole ?” asked Jesus, looking steadily upon 
him 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


267 


“ I "believe, my Lord,” answered Eli, bowing his face 
to the ground. 

“ Thy sins, then, be forgiven thee. Rise and go to 
thy house, and sin no more, lest a worse thing come 
upon thee.” 

“ This man ! forgiveth he sins also ?” cried the 
venerable priest, Manasses, who was at the table. 
“ He is a blasphemer ! for (rod alone forgiveth sins. 
Will he call himself Hod?” And he rose quickly up 
and rent his robe, and spat upon the floor in detesta- 
tion. 

“ Manasses,” said Jesus, mildly, “ tell me whether is 
it an easier thing to do — to say unto this man kneeling 
here, i Thy sins he forgiven thee,’ or to say, 1 Stretch 
forth thine hand whole as the other ’ ?” 

“ It would he more difficult to do the latter,” answered 
Manasses, surprised at the question. 

“ Who alone can do the latter, 0 priest ?” 

“ (rod alone, who first made him,” answered Manasses, 
gazing upon the withered arm, which, shriveled to the 
hone, hung useless at his side. - 

“ If, then, Grod alone heals, and Hod alone forgiveth 
sins, both acts, Manasses, would he of Hod ! Therefore,” 
said Jesus to the paralytic, “ I say unto thee, Eli, stretch 
forth thy hand whole !” 

The man, looking upon Jesus’ face, and seeming to de- 
rive confidence from its expression of power, made a con- 
vulsive movement with his arm, which was bared to the 
shoulder, exhibiting all its hideous deformity, and stretch- 
ed it forth at full length. Immediately the arm was 
rounded with flesh and muscles ; the pulse filled and 
leaped with the warm life-blood, and it became whole as 


268 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


the other. The change was so instantaneous that it was 
done before we could see how it was done. The amazed 
and wonder ingly delighted Eli bent his elbow, expanded 
and contracted the fingers, felt the flesh and pressed 
it with his other hand, before he could realize that he 
was healed. Then he lifted up his voice in praise to 
Jehovah, and casting himself at the feet of the Prophet, 
cried : 

44 Thou art not a man, but Gabriel, the angel of 
God!” 

44 Thou art now healed, Eli,” said Jesus impressive- 
ly ; 44 worship God, and go, and sin no more !” 

44 Master, thou knowest all things ! Lo ! my sin even 
was not hid from thee, though I believed no eye beheld 
it. Men and brethren,” he continued, addressing those 
who were assembled, 44 well did this holy Prophet, or 
angel of God, say unto me, at the first, 4 my sins were 
forgiven,’ instead of bidding me stretch forth my hand ; 
for it was a great sin that brought on my paralysis, as 
a punishment for it. I had copied a parchment for the 
Levite, Phineas, the tax-gatherer for the Temple service, 
and wickedly altered a figure in an amount, by which I 
should be a gainer of four shekels of silver. Instantly 
upon writing the last figure, I felt a stroke of palsy, and 
my arm fell dead at my side. It was God’s punishment. 
This was eight years ago. No eye knew the deed but 
God’s and my own ; but I have repented in deep humilia- 
tion. Therefore, as my withered arm was for the pun- 
ishment of my sin, well did my Lord, the mighty Pro- 
phet, say unto me, 4 my sin was forgiven,’ for then would 
my punishment have been removed ; for I felt already 
at his word the blood coursing through my parched 
veins !” 


OK, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


269 


Upon this frank acknowledgment, Man asses cried in 
amazement, “ Truly, God is good to Israel. The hour 
of his promise is come. Verily, 0 Jesus of Nazareth, 
thou art the Son of the Highest ! Forgive a worm of the 
dust, and my sins also !” And the proud priest fell &t 
Jesus’ feet, and bowed his snow-white locks upon them 
in adoration and reverence. 

If, then, dear father, the secret sins of men are known 
to Jesus ; if He forgives sins as well as heals diseases ; 
if He removes the temporal penalties which God inflicts 
upon men for their iniquities, what name, what power, 
what excellence, shall we concede to Him ? Shall we 
not, with Esaias, call Him “ the Wonderful, the Coun- 
sellor, the Mighty God, the Prince of Peace, who shall 
sit upon the throne of David to establish it with justice 
and judgment henceforth, even forever?” “Who,” I 
repeat with Manasses, “ who forgive th sins hut God 
alone ?” 

How shall I be able to remember and repeat all the 
other mighty works which Jesus has done in proof of his 
divine power ! You must have heard how He fed, from 
a small basket of bread, (the frugal provision which a 
lad had brought into the desert for his mother and his 
brothers,) no less than five thousand men, not naming 
the women and children. This vast multitude had fol- 
lowed Him far from the cities to listen to his teachings — 
people of all classes and tongues, including not a few 
Roman captains. When the mighty host was an hun- 
gered, He caused them to sit down on the grass and 
from the basket He took forth bread inexhaustibly in- 
creasing it to his hand as Pie distributed ; so that when 
all had eaten, there were gathered twelve times as much 


270 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


in fragments as the little "basket originally held. Who, 
dear father, hut Messias, could do this miracle ? He who 
could thus create bread at his will, is He not the Lord of 
the harvests of the earth ? My mind is overwhelmed, my 
dear father — I air. filled with astonishment and awe, 
when I reflect upoi the might, power, and majesty of 
Jesus, and I fear to ask myself — who more than man is 
He ? Is He verily the awful and terrible Jehovah of 
Sinai, visible in the human form ? Oh, wondrous and 
incomprehensible mystery ! a man with Almighty power, 
and manifesting the very attributes of Jehovah, the Lord 
of Hosts, walking the earth, conversing with men, dwel- 
ling in our habitations, eating and drinking with us, and 
sleeping with the peaceful helplessness of an infant be- 
neath our roofs ! I dare not trust my thoughts to pene- 
trate the mystery in which He walks among us in the 
veiled G-odhead of his power. His beloved disciple, John, 
says that Jesus has told him the day is not far off* when 
this veil will be removed, and that we shall then know 
Him, who He is, and wherefore He has come into the 
world, and the infinite results to men of his mission. 

The Passover is nigh at hand, when we shall again be- 
hold the majesty of His presence. I have just heard that 
Lazarus, the amiable brother of our cousins Mary and 
Martha, is taken suddenly ill, and I close this letter in 
order to accompany my cousin Mary and her father to 
Bethany, from whence they have sent us an earnest mes- 
sage of entreaty. May God preserve his life. 

Your devoted daughter, 


Adina. 


OR. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


271 


LETTER XXIY. 

My Dear Father : 

As I was closing my last letter to you, intelligence 
reached my uncle Amos, that Lazarus, the amiable 
brother of Martha and Mary, was very ill. The mes- 
sage was brought by Elec, the Gibeonite slave, who, 
with tears in his eyes, communicated to us the sad 
news. My cousin Mary and I at once set out to go to 
Bethany with him, uncle Amos kindly offering his two 
mules for us to ride upon, promising himself to come 
out also after the evening service at the Temple, if 
Lazarus should be no better. 

We were soon beyond the city-walls, on the road 
to Bethany, guided by the faithful servant, who, every 
few minutes, would urge us to ride faster ; and then 
lifting his hands and eyes, he would lament the danger 
of the young man, and the destitution of his sisters, 
should he be removed from them — he being, dear father, 
their only support, as I once wrote you ; his occupation 
being that of copying out rolls of the Prophets for the 
uses of the various synagogues. 

Although we did not expect to be able to do much by 
hastening to our dear relatives in their affliction, yet we 
hoped by our presence and heartfelt sympathy to relieve 


272 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


much of the solicitude of the beloved sisters for their dear 
brother. 

“ Knowest thou, Elec, the disease that has so suddenly 
seized my cousin ?” asked Mary, as we wound slowly up 
the path that leads around the steepest side of Olivet. 

“Ah, dear me, noble lady, I know not,” answered 
Elec, shaking his head. “ He had just returned from 
the city, where he had been staying night and day for a 
week, laboring industriously to complete a copy of the 
Five Books of the blessed Moses for the Procurator’s chief 
captain, for which he was to receive a large sum in 
Homan gold.” 

“ What was the name of this captain who seeks to ob- 
tain our holy hooks?” I asked, hope half answering the 
question in my heart. 

“ Emilius, the brave knight, they say, who was made 
a proselyte at the last Passover.” 

I was rejoiced to hear this proof of the steady desire of 
the princely Roman knight to learn our sacred laws, you 
may he assured, dearest father. But Elec went on speak- 
ing, and said : 

“ It was his hard work to complete this copy which 
made him ill ; for he slept not, nor ceased to toil until he 
had completed it ; and when he came home with the 
silver-hound Roll in his hand, and laid it upon the table 
before his sisters, he fell at the same moment fainting 
to the ground. When they raised him up, he was in a 
fierce fever, and raved so that he knew no one around 
him.” 

“Alas, poor Lazarus!” we both exclaimed, and urged 
our mules forward at a faster pace, our hearts bleeding 
for the sorrow of his sisters, and for his sad condition. I 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


273 


have already told you, in a former letter, in which I de- 
scribed my visit to the house of Mary and Martha, what a 
noble and good young man their brother was ; how he 
was beloved by all who knew him — commanding the 
respect of his superiors by his dignity of bearing* while 
his manly beauty won the hearts of the maidens who 
were his sisters’ friends. I told you how diligently he 
toiled for the maintenance of those dearly-loved sisters and 
helpless mother, thinking only of their comfort, forgetful 
of his own. I also related how that his many virtues had 
won for him the friendship of the equally youthful Prophet 
Jesus, who loved to make his abode his often-abiding 
place ; and lofty must the virtues and excellencies of a 
man be, dear father, to command the holy friendship of 
this divine man of God. Nearly of the same age, they 
walked and discoursed together in sweet companionship, 
like Jonathan and David in the golden age of our 
country’s glory. 

At length, half an hour after leaving the gate of the 
city, w T e drew near to Bethany, and beheld the roof of 
the house of Lazarus. Upon it, watching the road 
towards Jerusalem for us, we discovered the graceful 
form of Mary, who no sooner saw us, than she waved 
her hands in earnest longing. In a few moments we 
were in her arms, mingling our tears together. 

“ Does he yet live ?” I asked, scarcely daring to in- 
quire, as she led us into the house. 

“ Yes, lives, but fails hourly,” answered Mary, with 
forced composure. “ God bless you both for hastening 
to me.” 

At this moment Martha’s pale and suffering face, 
beautiful even in its pallor, appeared in the door of the 
12 * 


274 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


inner room. Upon seeing us she advanced, and taking 
both our hands in hers, said in a touching whisper, “ You 
have come, sweet friends, to see my brother die !” 

She then led us into the room, where lay upon a couch 
the form of the invalid, whose perilous condition had 
brought a pang to the hearts of so many dear and loving 
ones around him. Upon entering the apartment, he 
turned his lustrous eyes upon us, and smiled faintly a 
grateful recognition. Noble and beautiful as his coun- 
tenance was in health, I thought that its expression, 
with his brilliant eyes and feverish cheek, was now 
superhuman. 

“ He has slept a little,” said Martha, softly, to me ; 
“ but his fever is consuming him. He has now closed 
his eyes again, and seems heavy ; but his slumbers are 
restless, as you see ; and he seems to think his dear 
friend, Jesus the Prophet, is by him ; or he talks of Ra- 
chel as if she were not present.” 

“ And who is Rachel, dear Martha ?” I asked, as I was 
about to follow her out of the room, leaving her brother 
to his weary repose. 

“ Alas ! It was for Rachel’s gentle love’s sake he now 
lies there,” she answered ; “ there is the sweet maiden 
kneeling on the other side of his couch, her tearful face 
buried in the folds of the curtains. She leaves him not 
a moment ; nay, bhough he does not seem to be sensible 
of her presence* yet wdien she has once or twice gone 
from the room, he awakes directly and calls for her.” 

I turned, and regarded with tender interest the grace- 
ful and half-concealed form of the young girl as she 
bent over his pillow, her hand, clasped by his. At this 
moment she looked up, and directed her gaze towards 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


275 


me. Her face was inexpressibly lovely, bathed as it 
was in its glittering tear-dews, and her large, glorious 
eyes, shone like starry heavens of tenderness and love. 
Her hair would have been raven black, save that rays 
of golden bronze enriched its waving masses with every 
play of the light upon it. As our eyes met, she seemed 
to receive me into her soul, and my heart to embrace 
hers. Lazarus now moved, and murmured her name, 
when she dropped her eyes, and bent like an angel over 
him. 

“ Who is this marvellously lovely maiden ?” I asked 
of Martha, as we went out into the court of the hall. 

“ The betrothed bride of our beloved brother,” an- 
swered she ; “ sit with me here in the shade, beneath 
this vine, and I will tell thee their sad story. Lazarus, 
you know, dearest Adina, is a writer in the Temple, and 
by his labors has lived in humble competence, and sur- 
rounded us all with many comforts, nay, luxuries ; for 
all we have, we owe to his filial and fraternal love. His 
attachment to us led him to forego the pleasure of all 
other society ; as he said he found in our sweet bond of 
sisterly love all that he required to render him happy. 
He was therefore insensible to the attractions of the 
maidens who are our acquaintances and friends ; and 
when, a few months since, our mother was gathered to 
her fathers, he said he felt more than ever his duty to 
devote his life to our happiness. We would fain have 
induced him to seek a companion for life, knowing his 
noble nature, and how he possessed in an eminent de- 
gree those amiable qualities which would render, as his 
wife, happy and honored, any daughter of Israel. But 
when urged by us, he would smile, and playfully say, 


276 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID. 


that he had hut a very little heart, and that it would 
hold no more love than mine and Mary’s. 

44 A few weeks ago, as he was engaged late and alone 
in the copying-room of the Temple upon a Roll which 
the nohle iEmilius had ordered, which he desired to have 
completed on a certain day and for which he was to give 
him a large sum, he was startled by the sudden entrance 
of a young girl in great terror, who seemed to be flying 
from pursuit. Upon beholding him, she bounded to- 
wards him, and casting herself at his feet, implored his 
protection ! Amazed and interested, he promptly 
promised it, but had hardly spoken the words before 
Annas entered, and advanced towards her. His face 
was flushed with rage, and his voice was loud and 
fierce as he demanded her at the hand of my bro- 
ther. 

“ 4 Nay, my lord Annas,’ answered Lazarus, boldly ; 

4 were a dove to seek shelter from a hawk in my bosom, 
I would protect it, much more a distressed maiden of 
the daughters of Abraham !’ and he placed himself before 
the fugitive. 

44 4 Darest thou protect from me ? She is my child, a 
wicked and disobedient daughter of Belial ! Resign her 
to me, young scrivener, or I will have thee sent to the 
lowest dungeon of the castle of David.’ 

44 4 Oh, save me! save me !’ cried the young girl, as 
Annas advanced to seize her. 4 1 am not his child ! I 
am the orphan of Rabbi Levi, who left me and my es- 
tate to this false priest as a sacred charge ; and having 
done, I know not what, with my inheritance, he would 
sell me in unholy marriage to a Greek captain in the 
Roman Legion, who offers him large bribes in gold for 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


277 


me. And when but now he would have delivered me 
up to him, I fled to the altars of my Grod for the protec- 
tion which man denied me ; and, ignorant of the way, 
and lost in the labyrinth of the Temple, I found myself 
here. Rather than be given into the hands of this fierce 
and terrible Grecian, whom I have seen only to dread, 
T will cast myself down from the height of the Tem- 
ple !’ 

“ And to the surprise and horror of Lazarus, she bound- 
ed from the lattice, and stood upon the edge of the rock, 
which looks sheer three hundred feet down into the valley 
beneath. 

44 4 Thou seest, 0 Annas, to what thy cupidity for 
gold will drive this maiden. Has the land of Israel 
sunk so low, that its chief priest will sell the daughters 
of the land for gold to the lust of the Gentiles ? Is 
this the way thou givest protection to orphans ? Leave 
her ; and until I find a protector for her, she shall 
be a sacred guest with my sisters in their humble 
abode !’ 

44 4 Thy life shall pay for this arrogance, young 
man,’ answered the priest. 4 I have power and will 
exercise it.’ 

44 4 Not to the danger and wrong of this maiden, my 
lord Annas, whom Jehovah will protect, since she has 
trustingly sought the sheltering wing of his altars,’ 
answered my brother, firmly. 4 If thou continue to 
persecute her, I will appeal to the Procurator, Pontius 
Pilate, against thee. Thou already knowest, that Ro- 
man justice knows howto punish Jewish guilt with ter- 
rible severity/ 

44 The result was,” continued Martha, 44 that the 


278 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID; 


wicked priest, alarmed by the threat of appeal to Pilate, 
relinquished his present purposes, and left them, breath- 
ing menaces against my brother. The same day 
Lazarus conducted the maiden whom you already guess 
to be Rachel, to our house ! She has since then been our 
guest, and has won all our hearts, as well as our dear 
brother’s. Pilate, to whom Lazarus appealed, ha§ 
placed the shield of his protection between them and 
Annas. It was to obtain money to be able soon to 
wed Rachel, that our brother has at length fallen a vic- 
tim to his arduous toils, and now lies at the brink of the 
grave.” * + 

“ Is there no hope for him ?” I asked, after listening to 
her touching narrative. 

“ None ! The physicians say that he will never rise 
again.” 

“ There is one hope left,” I said eagerly. 

“ What is that?” demanded Martha. 

“ Jesus!” I answered; “send to Him, 0 Martha, 
and He will yet save him, and raise him up to life and 
health.” 

I had no sooner spoken, than Mary, who overheard me, 
uttered a cry of joy. 

“ Yes, Jesus has the power to heal him, and Jesus 
loves him ! He will come and save him the moment He 
hears of his danger.” 

Immediately Mary wrote on a slip of parchment these 
brief and touching words : 

“ Lord, behold he whom thou lovest is sick ! Hasten 
to come to us that he may live ; for nothing is impossi- 
ble with Thee.” 

This message was forthwith despatched by the hands 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


279 


of a young friend to Bethabara, beyond Jordan, where 
we learned Jesus at present abides. We have, there- 
fore, no hope for our dear relative, hut in the power of 
the Prophet. I will write as soon as we hear. Dear 
father. 

Your attached daughter, 

Adina. 


LETTER XXV. 

* 

My Dear and Honored Father : 

It is with emotions of the deepest grief that I convey 
to you the sad intelligence of the death of Lazarus. It 
is amid the low sounds of the plaintive moans of his 
bereaved sisters over his lifeless form, and with my tears 
almost blinding my overflowing eyes, that I write to you. 
The hand of the Lord hath fallen heavily upon this 
household, and stricken down its prop, smitten the oak 
around which clung these vine-like sisters, vine-like in 
their dependence upon him, and confiding trust in his 
wisdom and love. Now prostrate in the dust they lie 
stunned by the sudden and mysterious stroke of (rod’s 
providence. 

I have spoken to you of the noble character of Lazarus, 
in a former letter, dear father ; how that by writing in 
the Scribe’s room in the Temple, he had supported his 
venerable mother and sisters, while they, in their affec- 
tion, labored with the needle in embroidery work, where- 
in they had very delicate skill, in order to lighten his 
labors. To tfie young men of Israel, Lazarus was held 


280 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


up by the Elders, as a pattern of filial and brotherly 
virtue and honest industry ; and to his sisters, Mary and 
Martha, other maidens were directed to look for examples 
of maidenly piety and diligent household thrift. Their 
humble dwelling was the home of hospitality and kind- 
ness, and thither the Prophet of God, Jesus, loveth to 
resort whensoever his great labors will permit him. 
Nearly of the same age, a holy friendship had sprung up 
between him and Lazarus, who so loved the Blessed 
Anointed One of God, that he would readily have laid 
down his life for him. I have told you, dear father, 
what a happy household I have seen it when Jesus com- 
pleted the number ; for He stayed so much with them 
when not preaching, or when wishing to rest a day or 
two from his weary toil, that they came to regard Him 
as one of their family. Mary would devise ways to do 
Him honor, and to show her respect and affection, by 
working for Him silken covers for the Books of the 
Prophets, which Lazarus would copy and present to his 
beloved friend ; while Martha seemed ever to be think- 
ing what and how she should administer to his comfort, 
by providing every delicacy for her table. But so that 
Jesus could find listeners to his words of truth and 
wisdom, like Mary — who loved to sit at his feet and 
hear the golden language fall from his sacred lips — He 
thought not of meats or drinks. 

One day when I, with Mary and Lazarus, was listen- 
ing to his heavenly teachings, wrapt in wonder and ab- 
sorbing interest, Martha, who was preparing the meal, 
came and desired Mary to come and assist her ; but the 
dear, pious girl heeded not nor heard her, feeding, for- 
getful of all else, upon the celestial food that fell frCm 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


281 


the lips of Jesus, who was talking to us of the kingdom 
of God and the glories of heaven, and the necessity of 
holiness to enter and to dwell there. At length Martha, 
finding that Mary heard not, appealed to Jesus, saying, 
something sharply : 

“ Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me 
to serve alone ? Bid her, therefore, that she help me.” 

We turned with surprise to hear her, who was usually 
so gentle and good, thus forget what was due to the 
presence of the Prophet; and Lazarus was about to 
speak and excuse his sister, who looked as if she were 
much worried with her domestic troubles ; when Jesus 
said kindly to her : 

“ Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about 
many things ; thy household takes up too much of thy 
time and thoughts. In this world but one care is truly 
worthy of the regard of men, which is to provide need- 
ful sustenance for the soul ; for the body perisheth. 
Mary hath chosen more wisely than thyself. While thou 
carest much for the wants of the body, she careth for 
those of the spirit, and thus has that good part which 
shall not be taken away from her. Think not, beloved 
Martha, of sumptuous living for me, who have no 
earthly goods, nor even where to lay my head !” 

“ Say not thus, oh, say not so, dear Lord,” cried 
Martha, suddenly bursting into tears at Jesus’ touching 
words, and casting herself impulsively at his feet ; “ this 
house is thy home — ever beneath its roof, while I have 
one above me, shalt thou have where to lay thy head ! 
Say not so, my Lord !” 

We were all moved at Martha’s pathetic earnestness. 
Jesus raised her up, and said gently : 


282 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


“ It is thy love for me, I well know, that maketh thee 
so careful and troubled to provide for me at thy bountiful 
table. But I have meat to eat that ye know not of. To 
teach the truths of God, as thou findest me doing to 
these, is to me meat and drink, for herein I am doing my 
Father’s will, who sent me.” 

I have been particular in giving you, dear father, 
these details of the domestic relations existing in the 
abode of Lazarus, of the sweet friendship that resided 
in their bosoms towards Jesus, and of his familiar^ 
brotherly love for them. You can now understand why, 
when Lazarus was taken ill, after his laborious vigils to 
copy ihe manuscripts for the Roman Centurion, a mes- 
sage was at once sent to Jesus, who was in Bethabara 
beyond Jordan ; for a physician of Jerusalem, whom the 
noble Caiaphas had sent out to Bethany, on hearing of 
the sudden sickness of the youthful secretary, to whom 
he was greatly attached, for all people did love him who 
knew him, had pronounced him in danger of sudden 
death from inward bleeding of the lungs. 

“ Why, then,” you may ask, dear father, “ should they 
send for Jesus when death was certain. Jesus,” you add, 
“ was no physician, or if he had been, he could not re- 
verse the fate of the dying young man !” 

The fact, dear father, that under these circumstances 
they did send to Jesus to come and heal him, shows that 
it was not as a human physician they desired his 
presence, but as the miracle-working Prophet of God ! 
It proves, and will, I trust, prove to you, dearest father, 
that they who should best know his power, and who 
remembered the mighty miracle at Nain, believed assu- 
redly that He could save their brother. It is those who 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


283 


are most intimate with others who know them best. 
Now, that the sisters of Lazarus sent a message presently 
to Jesus to interpose between death and his life, is evi- 
dence that they plainly believed He had not only the 
power of miracles, but had power to prevent death ; and 
they had witnessed instances of his power sufficient to 
give them faith in his ability to save their brother ; 
while they knew that his love for him would certainly 
prompt Him to exert it. 

My last letter closed with informing you of the depart- 
ure of the messenger. After he had gone out of sight from 
the door, and the last echo of his horse’s hoofs ceased to 
be heard by the long-listening ears of his sister Martha, 
I re-entered the room where Lazarus lay. He was as 
white as marble. His large black eyes seemed to be 
twice their usual size and brilliancy. He breathed with 
difficulty, and every few moments he would be compelled 
to have his head raised in order to free his mouth from 
the welling blood that was constantly bubbling up from 
the broken fountains of his life. Mary’s tender privi- 
lege it was, assisted by Rachel, to render him this service 
of love. As she bent over him, looking downward with 
anxious fondness into his pale, intellectual face, watch- 
ing every shadow of the change that the sable wing 
of advancing death cast over it, I thought I had never 
gazed on a more lovely being ! Who, in beholding the 
seraphic beauty of her face, the brilliant light of her 
dark eyes, which were now glittering with sisterly grief, 
the graceful expression of her proud Rebecca-like head, 
and the superb outline of her figure, where love and 
majesty seemed blent to mould a second Eve — who, in 
the admiration of her person, could otherwise than ad- 


284 THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 

mire and love her ? I forgot for the moment the dying 
young man about whose form her snow-white arms were 
entwined, his head reclining upon her bosom, her raven 
tresses bronzed with a changing light, all unbound and 
floating above him and over his pillow, like a rich veil 
interwoven of sable silken floss and threads of gold. This 
was a pure act of grateful adoration for the restoration 
of her brother, and of holy love for blessings conferred 
on herself. 

I commenced this letter by informing you of the de- 
parture of the good, and generous, and pious Lazarus. 
He fell asleep in death as an infant sinks to slumber in 
its mother’s arms, gradually sinking from the loss of 
blood, and growing fainter and fainter till his eyes 
closed heavily, when his pulse ceased to throb, and his 
noble heart, no longer fluttering like an escaping bird 
beneath the hand’s light pressure, was at rest ! 

All too late was Jesus sent for ! To-morrow his burial 
will take place. Alas ! how suddenly has perished the 
noblest young man in Judea ! 

Farewell, dear father ! My heart is full ; I can now 
write no more. The day after to-morrow I return to 
Jerusalem, when I will write you again. You said in 
your last letter you would soon leave Egypt for Judea, 
for the purpose of taking me back to my dear native 
valley of the Nile. The God of Abraham preserve you 
in your journey, and bring you in safety to the em- 
braces of 


Your loving daughter, 


Adina. 


OE THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


285 


LETTER X X Y I . 

My Dear Father : 

In my last letter I told you that Lazarus was dead ! 
I write this to say that he that was dead is alive ! 
Lazarus lives ! He whom I saw dead and buried, and 
sealed up within the rocky cave of the tomb, is alive 
again from the dead ; and at this moment, while I am 
penning this extraordinary account, I hear his voice 
upon the porch,, as he is engaged in relating with pro- 
foundest awe, what has transpired respecting himself to 
a crowd of wondering people from Jerusalem. Even 
Pilate, the Roman Procurator, stopped his chariot at the 
door this morning, to see the once dead Lazarus, and 
have speech with him. - 

How, my dear father, how shall I find adequate lan- 
guage to tell you all that has happened within the last 
twenty-four hours! How shall I make you fully be- 
lieve the marvellous recital which I have taken up my 
pen to make ! I know not how to begin the wpnderful 
narrative, for joy prevents me from arranging my thoughts 
and presenting the facts intelligibly to you. G-od has 
indeed remembered his chosen people Israel once more, 
and shown his power among us ! 

You must have already been informed by me how 


286 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID 


rapidly Lazarus failed after his sudden attack of hemor- 
rhage of the chest, and that he soon died ; and how, in 
hopes that He might avert death, Jesus was sent for at the 
first to come to him. But Bethabara was a long day’s 
journey, and ere the messenger reached him the soul of 
his friend had fled. The next day he was buried ; a 
very large concourse of people, from the town of Bethany 
and from Jerusalem, coming to his burial ; for he was 
greatly beloved ! even the chariot of the noble lady, Lucia 
Metella, the good and virtuous wife of Pilate, was pres- 
ent to do honor to the obsequies of him who had no other 
renown than his virtues. 

The funeral procession was so very long, that strangers 
pausing, asked what great master in Israel, or person ot 
note, was being taken to the sepulchre. 

Some answered, “ Lazarus, the industrious scribe!’’ 
Others said, “ A young man who has devoted his life to 
honor his mother !” Others answered, as Lazarus him- 
self, were he alive, would have had them : 

“ It is Lazarus, the friend of Jesus !” 

This, living, was his proudest title ; and dead, he 
would have desired no other. Ah, dear father, may the 
day yet come when you shall deem such a title greater 
honor than the gold of Egypt, or all the glory of your 
proud descent from Abraham and David ! 

The place where they were to lay him was the cave 
in which both his father and mother were entombed. 
It was in a deep, shady vale, thickly shaded by cypress, 
palm, and pomegranate trees ; and a large tamarind 
grew, with its stately branches, overclasping the summit 
of the secluded place of sepulchre, while an abrupt cliff 
of Olivet hung impending above. From its summit, to 


OK, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


287 


which I had ascended the evening previous, looking in 
the direction of Jerusalem, are visible the majestic heights 
of the distant Temple, and the warlike battlements of 
the city of David, while the sunlight, glancing upon the 
dazzling shield of a sentinel who was standing upon its 
loftiest watch-tower, caused it to gleam like a lesser 
sun. The remote swell of a Roman bugle from the head 
of a cohort, which was just issuing through a defile, came 
now softly and musically to our ears, as we stood in 
silence about the grove wherein we were to place the 
dead. iEmilius, the Centurion, was also present, wearing 
a white scarf above his silver cuirass, in token of grief ; 
for he also loved Lazarus. Of him, dear father, I have 
not of late spoken ; for should I begin to write of him, 
I should have no room in my letters for any other theme. 
You will soon see him, and judge for yourself how wor- 
thy he is of your confidence, and all the love of my 
heart. I am too grateful to you, dearest father, for not 
refusing your consent to our union, but only withhold- 
ing it until you reached Jerusalem. The blessed winds 
waft your bark swiftly to Jaffa, that I may soon 
embrace you, and present to you the noble .ZEmilius, 
who is as faithful a worshipper of our G-od as if he 
were a son of Abraham by birth, rather than by 
adoption. 

The sacred observances at the grove being over, they 
raised the body of the dead young man from the bier, 
and four youths, aided by ZEmilius at the head to sup- 
port it, conveyed it into the yawning cavern. A moment 
they lingered on the threshold, that Mary and Martha 
might take one more look, imprint upon its icy cold lips 
one last kiss, press once more his unconscious head to 


288 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


their loving and bursting hearts ! I also gazed upon 
him, weeping at their sorrow, and sorrowing to behold 
so noble a face, beautiful as chiselled alabaster, about 
to be consigned to the loathsome worm of the charnel- 
-house. He was so good, and excelling all his compan- 
ions in all things great and pure, and lofty in character, 
that my tears freely flowed ! 

The young men moved slowly forward into -the gloom 
of the cave. Mary rushed in, and with disheveled hair, 
cried : 

“ Oh, take him not away forever from the sight of 
my eyes ! Oh, my brother, my brother, would that I 
had died for thee ! for I am willing to lie down with the 
worm and call it my sister, and sleep in the arms of 
death, as on the breast of my mother, so thou could st 
live ! Thou wert happy and honored, and shouldest have 
lived ! Oh, brother, brother, let them not take thee for- 
ever from the sight of my eyes ! "Without thee, how 
shall life be life !” 

iEmilius entered the tomb, and tenderly raising her 
from the body, on which she had cast herself in the elo- 
quent abandonment of her wild grief, he led her forth, and 
beckoning to me, placed her in my arms. 

Martha bore her grief with more composure, but her 
face expressed how deeply she was moved within, thus to 
say adieu forever to her only brother, to her beloved 
Lazarus, who had been the strong rock which had pre- 
sented ever its front to the shock of the stormy billows 
of this life, as they threatened her and Mary, who was 
a tower of strength to them in the day of trouble, 
as well as an exhaustless fountain of holy domestio 

joy! 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


289 


The body being placed in a niche hollowed out in the 
rock, was decently covered with a grave mantle, all hut 
the calm face, which was hound about by a snow-white, 
napkin. Maidens of the village advanced and cast flowers 
upon his head, and many, many were the sincere tears, 
both from beneath manly lids and those of virgins, 
which bore tribute to his worth. 

The burial ceremonies being ended, five strong men 
replaced the ponderous stone-door closely fitting the en- 
trance to the cave, and so secured it, by letting it into a 
socket, that it would require a like number to remove it. 

As they were retiring with heavy hearts from perform- 
ing this last duty to the beloved dead, the sun sank be- 
yond the blue hills of Ajalon in the west, in a lake of 
gold. To enjoy the sunset, and to relieve our emotions 
of sadness, I walked apart with Mary to the top of the 
hill, from which I beheld the sun gilding the pinnacle of 
the Temple, and making it appear like a gigantic spear 
elevated into the sky. From the Levites at evening 
sacrifice came, mellowed by the distance, the deep chant 
of the Temple service, uttered by a thousand voices. 
The cloud from the altar sacrifice ascended slowly into 
the still air, and catching the splendor of the sun’s last 
beams, shone as if the pillar of cloud and of fire which 
stood above the tabernacle in the wilderness. The labor- 
ers in the harvest were hastening towards the gates, ere 
they should be shut for the night by the Roman guards ; 
and dwellers in the village were hurrying forth, lest they 
should be held in the city over night. 

There was a sacred hush in the sleepy atmosphere 
that seemed in sympathy and touching harmony with 
the scene in which we had just borne a part. With 
13 


290 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


Mary leaning sobbing upon my shoulder, I sat upon a 
rook giving my heart up to the sweet influences of the 
hour. We were alone, save iEmilius, who had ridden 
after us, anxious for our safety, and who sat upon his 
horse near by, gazing upon the beauty of the evening 
scene. Martha and my cousin, with John, had returned 
to the now desolate home of which Lazarus had been 
the light and the honor. 

“ I am calmer now,” said Mary, after a while raising 
her head, and looking into my face, her splendid eyes 
glittering brimful with tears ; “ I am better now ! The 
peace of the sweet holy skies seems to have descended, 
and entered my heart. The heavens of my soul are as 
clear and pure and peaceful, as those above me! The 
spirit of Lazarus pervades all and hallows all I see ! I 
will weep no more. He is happy now, very happy, and 
let us try to be holy and go to him, for he cannot come 
back to us !” 

At this moment we heard the tramp of horses’ hoofs ! 
iEmilius, startled thereby from his reverie, recovered his 
seat and laid his hand upon his sword ; for though the 
Romans have the mastery in our land, as conquerors, 
they are not loved ; and scarcely a week passes without 
some conflict between the soldiers of the Legion and the 
common people among the Jews ; and even the officers 
have been attacked when riding abroad from Jerusalem 
not sufficiently attended. 

iEmilius, therefore, who had with him only his white- 
haired Celtic servant, Frwynn, prepared to receive a foe 
or welcome his friends. The next moment, around a 
rock projecting from the shoulder of Olivet, appeared a 
horseman in the wild, warlike costume of an Ishmaelite 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


291 


of the Desert, brandishing a long spear in the air ; then 
another and another similarly clad and armed, and 
mounted on superb horses of the Desert, dashed in sight ! 
These were immediately followed by a tall, daring-look- 
ing young man, in a rich costume, half Grecian, half 
Arabic, though his dark, handsome features were deci- 
dedly Israelitish. He rode a superb Abyssinian charger, 
and sat upon his back like the heathen centaur I have 
read of in the Latin books which iEmilius has given 
me to read. Upon seeing us, he drew rein and smiled, 
and waved his jewelled hand with splendid courtesy ; but 
at the sight of iEmilius, his dark eyes flashed, and leap- 
ing to his feet in his stirrups, he shook his glittering fal- 
chion towards him, and rode with a trumpet-like cry full 
upon him ! 

The brave Roman soldier received the charge by turn- 
ing his horse slightly, and catching the point of the 
weapon upon the blade of his short sword. 

“¥e meet at last, 0 Roman !” cried this wild, dash- 
ing chief, as he wheeled his horse like lightning, and 
once more rode upon the iron-armed Roman knight. 

“ Ay, Barabbas, and with joy I hail thee,” responded 
iEmilius, placing a bugle to his lips. 

At hearing the clear voice of the bugle awaking the 
echoes of Olivet, the dread robber chief, of whom you 
have heard me speak before, dear father, said haughtily, 
and with a glance of contempt : 

“ Thou, a knight of the tribune, and commander of a 
legion, call for aid, when I offer thee equal battle, hand to 
hand, and ask not aid of my own men’s spears ?” 

“ I know no equal battle with a robber. I would hunt 
thee as I would do the wolf and the wild beasts of thy 


292 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID 


deserts,” answered iEmilius, pressing him closely. At 
a signal from the robber chief, his four men, who had 
reined up a short distance off, near the tomb of Lazarus, 
sent up a shrill, eagle-like scream, that made my blood 
stand still, and then rode down like the wind to overcome 
iEmilius. 

Hitherto I had remained as one stupified at being an 
involuntary spectator of a sudden battle ; but on seeing 
his danger, I was at his side, scarce knowing how I 
reached the place. 

“ Retire, dear Adina,” he said authoritatively, “ I 
shall have to defend both thee and myself, and these bar- 
barians will give both my hands enough to do.” 

As he spoke, he turned his horse’s head to meet the 
fourfold shock, and I escaped, I know not how, with 
the impulse to hasten to Bethany for succor. But 
Heaven interposed its aid ! A detachment of the body- 
guard of Pilate, which JEmilius had left in an olive 
grove to bivouac and refresh themselves and horses, 
hearing the recall of their chief’s bugle, came now can- 
tering up the hill, a score strong of armed men, bearded 
Gauls, who had served in Britain against the Piets. At 
the sight, Barabbas and his party fled, like wild pigeons 
pursued by a cloud of Iturean hawks. Barabbas, how- 
ever, turned more than once to fling back defiance to his 
foes. iEmilius soon reached his side, seized the crimson 
sash which encircled his waist, and held him thus, both 
fighting as they rode. The Roman troop came up, and 
after a desperate battle the celebrated robber chief was 
taken alive, though bleeding with many wounds, and 
bound with his own sash to the column of one of the 
tombs. iEmilius was but slightly hurt ; and I saw the 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


293 


bright joy which sparkled in his eyes, that he had at 
length captured the hold bandit leader, who had so fre- 
quently before escaped him, and to get possession of 
whom he had made so many attempts. At length he 
had in his power the terror of all the country between 
Jericho and Jerusalem, a bound captive. The prisoner 
smiled still proudly defiant, and looked haughty even in 
his bonds. His men were also taken ; and giving them, 
with their chief, into the charge of his soldiers to be con- 
veyed to the prisons of Jerusalem, .ZEmilius rejoined me 
and Mary, and accompanied us to the house of the two 
sisters. 

It appears that Barabbas, emboldened by the rumor 
that a rich company of merchants were to leave Jerusa- 
lem at daybreak, had advanced near the city with a few 
followers, to lie in wait for their coming out, and so 
hang on their path until they should have entered a de- 
file in the mountains of Bethel, where his troop were 
lying in ambush ; and it was while seeking shelter from 
observation among the tombs in the side of Olivet that 
he came suddenly upon us. .ZEmilius says that he will 
assuredly be crucified for his numerous crimes. Dread- 
ful punishment ! and for one so young as this Desert 
robber to come to such an ignominious and agonizing 
death ; doomed to hang for hours under the sun-beams 
by his lacerated hands and feet, till death at last comes 
from slow exhaustion of all the powers of nature. I 
am amazed that so polite and humane a nation as the 
Roman can inflict such a cruel and agonizing death, 
even upon their malefactors. Last week, as I was 
walking with my uncle Amos among the sepulchres of 
the kings outside of the North gate, being prevented 


294 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


from re-entering the gate by the passage of a Roman 
detachment, marching to suppress an insurrection in 
Samaria, we passed round by the Western gate, to reach 
which we had to cross the Place of Calvary, on which 
two crosses were erected, upon one of which hung the 
still living body of a seditious Jew, executed by order 
of the Procurator. He writhed fearfully, while his 
groans penetrated my heart. I covered my eyes and 
my ears, and begged Rabbi Amos to hurry with me 
from such a fearful spectacle. Yet it was in full sight 
of the city and of the road ; and many spectators, 
both of women and men, lingered to gaze. Ignominious, 
indeed, must the life of a man have been, for him to be 
doomed justly, to suffer such a death. 

In this letter, dearest father, I intended to relate to 
you how Lazarus has been restored to life, but it is al- 
ready taken up with so much, that I defer it to my 
next. But, believe me, that Lazarus is living and well, 
and thousands are crowding into Bethany, and throng- 
ing the house, to learn this great thing that has happened. 
Suffice it for me to tell you at the close of this letter, 
that it was Jesus who raised him from the dead, that 
Prophet of God of whom you are yet in doubt whether 
He be the Messias or no ! Ah, is He who raised the 
widow’s son of Nain — who walked on the sea a league 
to his disciples’ boats — who stilled the tempest by the 
word of his power — who fed five thousand men with five 
pounds weight of bread — who healed the nobleman 
Hadad’s son — who raised the dead daughter of the Gali- 
lean ruler, Jairus — who restores the deaf, the blind, the 
dumb, by a word, a touch, a look — around whose path 
and life are gathered together such a multitude of testi- 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


295 


monies to his superhuman power, in prophecies, in migh- 
ty works, and in glittering miracles — ah, my dear father, 
is He only a common man ? Is He an impostor ? Oh, 
is He not, is He not the Son of God — the Messias of the 
Prophets— the Lion of the tribe of Judah — the Deliverer 
and future glory of Israel ? Is He not He whose day of 
splendor Abraham saw afar off? Is He not Shiloh, 
whom the patriarch Jacob beheld rise up to wield the 
sceptre of Israel ? Is He not the mighty Son of God, of 
whom the burning pen of Esaias writes in these words 
of inspiration : 

“ Unto us a child is born — unto us a son is given ; and 
the government shall be upon his shoulders ; and his 
name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Migh- 
ty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace ; 
who shall sit upon the throne of David, and establish it 
with justice and judgment from henceforth, even for- 
ever !” 

Think of these things, dear father ; oh, ponder them 
well, and let not the poverty of Jesus be a stumbling- 
block to your faith in Him as Messias. That He has 
raised Lazarus from the dead, is alone evidence enough, 
to me, that He is the Son of God. 

Your affectionate daughter, 

Adina. . 


LETTER XXVII. 

My Dear Father : 

Your letter has filled me with joy that I can poorly 
express by my pen. It was received this morning by 
the courier from Egypt, with the package, both being 


296 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF I) AVID : 


safely placed in my hands, nine days only after they 
quitted your own. I kissed them, and pressed them 
again and again to my heart, at the thought that they 
were so lately touched by your fingers. The letter as- 
sures me that you are certainly to leave at the new moon, 
and after a few days’ delay at Gaza, that you will be 
with me not many days afterward. This letter I shall 
send to meet you at Gaza. 

Three years, three long years, dearest father, have 
passed since I last beheld your venerable and kind face. 
Ah, when you come, how I shall love you, and hang up- 
on you, and watch every dear look, and fondly catch 
your every word ! It is true, my uncle Amos has been 
next to a father to me. He is all affection and good 
ness ; but no love nor care can hold the place of a 
father’s. 

When I review the interesting scenes I have passed 
through, the wonderful events which I have witnessed 
since I first came to Jerusalem three years ago, with 
the caravan of Rabbi Ben Israel, I do not regret my long 
absence from you ; for to have been in Jerusalem during 
the period I have named, is a privilege that Abraham 
and all the patriarchs and prophets of God would have 
coveted. During that period Messias has walked the 
earth, clothed with divine power, and familiarly gone in 
and out of Jerusalem before all eyes, performing mira- 
cles, and doing mighty works which never man did. I 
have learned to love and honor that blessed Prophet as 
the Son of the Highest, and the Anointed of the Lord ; 
I have sat at his feet, and listened to his heavenly teach* 
ings, and the wisdom of his sacred lips has made me 
wise and good. 

But I have not yet made known to you the particu 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


297 


lars of the greatest miracle of power and love above all 
those wonders which He has done, viz., the raising up of 
Lazarus from the dead, and I will here recount them as 
they occurred. 

When Mary and Martha, upon finding Lazarus given 
over hy the physicians as past possible recovery from 
his grievous illness, had despatched the message to Jesus, 
as I have already stated, they began to be more cheerful 
with newborn hope, saying : 

“ If our dear Rabbi, the holy Prophet, comes, He will 
heal him with a word, as He has done so many of the 
sick.” 

“ Yes ; many whom He knew not He has restored to 
health by a touch,” remarked Martha ; “ how much 
more, Lazarus, whom He loveth as a brother ! Oh that 
the messenger may press forward with all haste !” 

“ If Lazarus should die ere He come,” hesitatingly re- 
marked my gentle cousin, the betrothed of John the disci- 
ple, “ He could bring him to life again, even as He did the 
son of the widow at Nain.” 

“Yes, without doubt, unless it were too late,” re- 
marked Martha, shrinking at the thought that her 
brother should die ; “ but if he be long dead it will be 
impossible.” 

“ Nothing is impossible with Jesus,” answered Mary, 
her eyes brightening with trusting faith. 

Thus the hours passed between mingled hopes and 
fears ; but ere Jesus came, lo ! the mantle of death was 
laid over the face of their dead brother. “ Lazarus is 
dead, and Jesus is far away !” was the bitter and touch- 
ing cry made by the bereaved sisters, as they wept in 
each other’s arms. 


13 * 


298 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID. 


The next day the hurial took place, as I have described 
already to you, dear father, in my last letter, and yet no 
messenger came from Jesus. The morning of the third 
day the man returned, and said that he had found the 
Prophet on the farther hank of Jordan, where John had 
baptized, abiding in an humble cottage in the suburbs 
of Bethabara with his disciples, engaged in teaching the 
things of the kingdom of Gfod, and unfolding the proph- 
ecies to many who resorted unto Him. 

The hearer of the sad tidings from the two sisters 
delivered his simple and touching message : 

“ Lord, behold he whom thou lovest is sick !” 

“ And what said He ? — how did his countenance ap- 
pear ?” asked Martha, of the man. 

“ He betrayed no surprise, hut said calmly to me, 
‘ Son, I know it ! This sickness shall not be unto death. 
It shall he for the glory of God ; for hereby will my 
Father permit me to he glorified, that men may see and 
believe truly that I came out from God.’ ” 

“ What said He more ?” asked Martha, sorrowfully and 
doubting. 

“ Nothing more, lady ; and having given my message, 
I departed,” answered the man. 

“ Alas ! He knew not how ill his friend was,” said 
Mary, “ or He would not have said it was not unto death, 
and would surely have hastened with you.” 

“ Thy Lord should know all things, daughter,” said a 
priest who stood by. “ This ignorance of the danger of 
Lazarus, and his assertion that he would not die, shows 
that he is not of God. Is not Lazarus dead and buried ?” 

At this, Martha’s faith seemed for a moment shaken, 
but Mary eloquently defended her brother’s absent friend, 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 


299 


the holy Prophet, saying, that “ when Jesus should 
come and speak in person for Himself, He would make 
his words plain, and show them to have been spoken 
with wisdom.” 

With what deep sorrow they mourned their brother ! 
and their tears fell the faster in that they felt assured 
he would not have died had Jesus been there. Their 
faith and confidence in Him underwent a sore trial as 
day after day passed, and nothing more was heard from 
Him. 

u He has forgotten us,” answered Martha. “ He 
should he here to console us in our deep affliction, 
though He came not to heal our brother.” 

“ Nay, sister, do not think hardly of the blessed friend 
of Lazarus,” said Mary, with soothing tones, as she 
caressed her elder sister. “ I feel that if Pie had seen 
fit He could have raised up our brother, even speaking 
the word from Bethabara. It was not needful He should 
see him to heal him ; for dost thou remember how He 
healed Lucius, the Centurion’s son ? Yet at the time He 
was a day’s journey distant from him.” 

“ And why, oh why, did He not save Lazarus ?” ex- 
claimed Martha, bitterly. 

“ In that He did not, sweet sister,” answered Mary, 
gently, “ it was for the best. Did He not say to the 
messenger, his sickness should be to the glory of his 
power.” 

“ But not his death, Mary, not his death ! He is 
dead four days already ; and how can the grave give 
glory to the power of Jesus ? Will He raise him up 
since corruption hath begun, nay, begun ere we laid 
him in the cold sepulchre ? Oh, speak not to me of the 


300 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


Prophet. He loved not Lazarus, or He had not tha 
power to save him. Nay ; leave me, Mary, to the bit- 
terness of my grief.” 

“ Ah, dear Martha, how soon is thy faith in Jesus, 
when tried, become naught !” said Mary, bending upon 
her, from her dark, earnest eyes, looks of sad reproach. 
“ Shall one day overturn your years of holy friendship 
for Him ? Because He answered not our prayer to 
come to Lazarus, think you He loved him not, and is 
indifferent to our anguish ? He is wronged by your 
reproof, and injured by your want of confidence in his 
love and care for us.” 

“ He can heal a proud and rich ruler’s son, but He 
heeds not the cry of the poor and lowly,” perseveringly 
answered Martha, expressing in her looks the intensity 
of her feelings. 

“ Ah, sister, God forgive thee, and let thy grief excuse 
thy words. Though He slay me 1 will trust in Him,” 
exclaimed Mary, laying her hand on her sister’s shoulder, 
while holy firmness and a resolute light beamed in her 
shining and tearful eyes. 

While they were thus discoursing, one came running 
swiftly towards the house, and, breathless with haste, 
cried to them and to the Jews sitting there, who had 
come to comfort them concerning their brother : 

“ The Prophet! the Nazarene ! He comes !” 

Almost at the same moment Elec, the Gibeonite, en- 
tered and said : 

“ Jesus, Messias of God, is at hand ! He already en- 
tereth the village followed by his disciples.” 

At this intelligence the mourners who sat with Mary 
and Martha in the vine porch, rose up to go and meet 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


301 


Him ; but Martha, shrieking with the reaction of sudden 
joy, sprang up, and, more quickly than they, reached 
the street, and flying with great speed, came where Jesus 
was. 

Mary, who had received the news without betraying 
any other emotion than the secret and holy joy of a 
heart that had confidence all along in her Lord, instead 
of hastening to meet Him rending her hair with grief, 
like her sister, proceeded to prepare a room for the hos- 
pitable entertainment of the beloved Prophet, when He 
should come in, thus taking Martha’s usual place ; and 
when she had arranged all, she sat down with me in the 
house, her heart filled with joy, and her face expressive 
of calm and quiet happiness. 

“ I knew He would come ! I knew He would not 
leave or forsake us in our deep sorrow, Adina,” she said 
to me two or three times ; and as the confused noise of 
advancing footsteps fell upon our ears, her heart beat 
quicker, and, with the glow that joy and expectation 
made to enrich her face, I thought she looked more beau- 
tiful than ever. 

When Martha had come near Jesus, whom she met 
just entering Bethany, walking with four of his dis- 
ciples along the dusty road, and looking weary and 
travel-worn, she ran and threw herself at his feet, 
crying : 

“ Lord, if thou hadst been here , my brother had not 
died /” 

Jesus taking her hand, raised her up, and said to 
her with emotion, for He seemed deeply moved by her 
grief : 

“ Lazarus sleepeth, Martha. I am now come to awake 
him out of his sleep.” 


302 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAYID : 


“ Lord, if my brother slept only, he would not have 
been buried. He is dead, and hath been dead four 
days.” 

“ Death to those whom my Father loveth is sleep. 
The good die not ! Lazarus is not dead but sleepeth ; 
and he shall rise again !” 

“ I know, 0 Rabboni, that he shall rise again in the 
resurrection at the last day.” 

Jesus then said to her, lifting his celestial glances to- 
wards heaven : 

“ I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth 
in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live ! and whoso- 
ever liveth and believeth in me shall never die ! Be- 
lievest thou this, daughter ?” 

“ Yea, Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son 
of G-od, which should come into the world. I know, that 
whatsoever thou wilt ask of Hod, God will give it thee, 
and that even now thou couldst bring Lazarus back 
again !” 

“ Corruption and the worm have begun their work,” 
said a proud and unbelieving Pharisee near, on hearing 
this ; “ whatever may have been the state of the ruler’s 
daughter, and of the son of her of Nain, Lazarus, the 
scribe, at least, is dead /” 

To this speech Jesus made no reply ^ but turning to 
Martha, said softly : 

“ I am rejoiced that thy faith in me hath come back 
into thine heart, for thou hast doubted, 0 daughter of lit- 
tle faith, in that I came not at thy call. It was needful 
that thy brother should die, that I might display the 
power of God in me by raising him up. This day my 
Father shall be glorified, and the world shall truly know 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


303 


that I come from Him who is Life, and the giver of life 
G-o, thou, and tell thy sister that I am here, and would 
have her come and speak with me !” 

Martha, then, overjoyed, and wondering that Jesus 
should have known her thoughts, so as to reproach her 
for her little faith as He had done, hastened to her sister, 
and entering, cried : 

“ I have seen the Lord ! He calleth for thee, Mary. 
Come and see Him as He sits by Isaiah’s fountain, near 
the market-place ; for He hath said He will not enter our 
house until He crosses its threshold with Lazarus by 
his side !” 

Her words made my heart bound with an indescriba- 
ble thrill ! Lazarus to come again into the house alive, 
walking with Jesus ! I buried my face in my hands, 
overcome with an idea so full of joy, terror, wonder, and 
supernatural awe. Mary rose quickly, and went out, 
scarcely supporting herself up on her failing limbs for 
trembling joy, and a sweet, undefined hope of she knew 
not what immeasurable and unbearable happiness about 
to come upon her. Certain of her Jewish friends from 
Jerusalem at that moment met her at the door, not know- 
ing that Jesus had entered Bethany ; and began to com- 
fort her, and to ask her if they also should go with her 
to weep at the grave of Lazarus ; for they said one to 
another : 

“ She goes unto the grave to weep there !” 

“ She goes to see Jesus, the friend of Lazarus, for He 
calleth her,” answered Martha, smiling with eagerness, 
and speaking with an animation that presented a singular 
contrast to her late deep grief. 

Mary hastened to where Jesus sat by the fountain bath- 


304 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


ing his dusty and wounded feet, and’ discoursing to those 
about Him upon the resurrection of the dead. Upon see- 
ing Mary, He extended his hand, but she sank at his feet, 
in tears ! 

“ Lord,” she said, in her sister’s words, and with deep 
emotion, “If thou, Lord, hadst been here, my brother 
had not died !” 

Then bowing her head to the edge of the marble basin, 
she wept very heavily. The Jews, men and women, 
who stood about, being touched with her sorrow, also 
wept, while glittering tears coursed their way down the 
face of the beloved John, his disciple, who stood near. 

Jesus sighed deeply, and groaned in spirit as He be- 
held her grief, and their mourning with her. His sa- 
cred countenance was marred with the anguish of his 
soul. 

“ Rise, let us go to the grave where he lieth !” He said 
to them. “ Where have ye laid him ?” 

“ Come, dear Lord, and see,” answered Mary, holding 
Him reverently by the sleeve of the robe, and gently yet 
eagerly drawing Him towards the place of the tombs in 
the. vale of Olivet. 

In the meanwhile, at home, Martha had been diligent- 
ly, and with strange cheerfulness, getting in readiness 
the room of Lazarus. She swept and dusted it, and gar- 
nished it with fresh flowers, which she gathered in the 
little garden. 

“ This is the rose he set out and loved. This is the 
violet which blooms immortal. I will place it upon his 
pillow,” she said, with a joyous hilarity, softened by the 
most lovely look of peace ; while hope shone in her 
eyes like twin morning-stars ushering in a glorious day. 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


305 


She spoke scarcely above her breath, and moved on 
tiptoe. 

“For whom is this preparation, dearest Martha ? For 
Jesus ?” I asked. 

“ Oh, no! The holy Prophet’s own room is ready. Mary 
has prepared that. This is Lazarus’ room, and I am 
decorating it for him !” 

“ Dost thou truly believe that he is coming back 
from the dead ?” I asked, between doubt and strange 
fear. 

“ Believe ! Oh, yes. I know that nothing is impos- 
sible with Him ! I doubt no more. My faith trembles 
no longer. He will raise up my brother, and this day 
he shall sit down at our table with us again, and this 
night rest his head in peaceful slumber upon this pil- 
low which I am strewing with his favorite flowers. 
Never had house two such guests as we shall, have this 
day — the Messias of God, and one come back alive from 
the dead !” 

At this moment we heard the noise of the multitude 
passing by, and it being told us that Jesus was going to 
the grave, Martha, embracing me with a heavenly smile, 
drew me gently after her, to follow the blessed Prophet 
to the tomb. All Bethany was in his footsteps. Won- 
der and eager expectation were on every face. There 
was no outcry, no lawless uproar, in the vast concourse, 
but rather a subdued under-current murmur of awe and 
curiosity. 

How shall I describe Jesus, as He then appeared ! 
He wore a blue robe, woven without seam throughout, 
the affectionate work and gift of the two sisters. His 
face was pale and sad ; yet a certain divine majesty rest- 


306 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAYID : 


ing thereon, so that his calm, high forehead looked as 
if it were a throne ! His holy, earnest eyes were full 
of sorrow. His mouth compressed, betrayed the effort 
He made to suppress the outbursting of his heart’s 
deep grief. 

Slowly He moved onward, and entering the ceme- 
tery, He soon stood before the tomb of his beloved friend. 

For a few moments He stood gazing upon the closed 
stone door of the cave in silence. There reigned an expect- 
ant hush among the vast throng. Mary knelt at his feet, 
gazing up into his countenance with a sublime expres- 
sion of hope and trust. Martha drew softly near, and 
fell upon her knees by the side of her sister. Jesus 
looked tenderly upon them, and, resting his eyes upon the 
tomb, wept. Large, glittering tears rolled down his 
cheeks, and glanced from his flowing beard to the ground. 
I knelt by the side of the sisters. 

“ Behold how he loved him !” whispered the Jews 
present, with surprise. 

Others said : 

“ Could not this man which opened the eyes of thp 
blind, have caused that even this man should not have 
died ?” 

Jesus, heaving a deep sigh, now came nearer the grave. 
It was, as I have before said, a cave, and a stone lay 
upon it. With a slight movement of his right hand to 
those who stood by, He said in a tone that, though low, 
was heard by the whole people, so solemn was the sur- 
rounding stillness. 

“ Take ye away the stone !” 

“ Lord,” said Martha, “ by this time the body is offen- 
sive, for he hath been dead four days.” 

“Daughter,” said Jesus, looking on her, “said I not 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY.' 


307 


to thee, a little while since, if thou wilt believe that I 
can raise up thy brother, that thou shalt see him alive 
again ? Believe, and thou shalt behold the power of 
God” 

The men, then, with some difficulty took away the 
stone from the door of the sepulchre, and stood it upon 
one side. The dark vault yawned with gloomy horrors, 
and so corrupt was the air that rushed out, all fell back 
from it, save Jesus and Mary, retiring several steps from 
the entrance. 

Jesus stood looking into the cave, where, as our eyes 
became accustomed to the darkness within, we could 
discern the corpse of Lazarus, covered with the grave 
mantle, and his face bound with a napkin which was 
already discolored with the sepulchral damp of the 
grave. 

Raising his hands towards heaven, and lifting up his 
spiritual eyes, which were yet moist with tears, Jesus 
spoke in a voice of indescribable pathos and earnestness 
of appeal, and with a manner of the most awful rever- 
ence, as follows : 

“ Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And 
I know that thou hearest me always ; but because of the 
people which stand by do I offer unto thee this prayer, 
that they may believe that the power I have cometh 
from thee, and that they may believe thou hast sent me. 
And now, 0 Holy Father, may I glorify thee on the 
earth with the power which thou hast given me !” 

He then turned towards the tomb, and stretching 
forth his hand, He cried with a loud voice, that made 
every heart quake : 

“ Lazarus, come forth !” 


308 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID. 


My blood stood still in my veins. Scarcely daring to 
behold, I looked and beheld what all eyes also saw, the 
corpse rise and stand up within the vault, turn round 
with its face towards us, and come forth, wrapped hand 
and foot with the grave-clothes, and his face bound about 
with a napkin. His countenance was like marble for 
whiteness, and his eyes, which were open, beamed super- 
naturally brilliant. 

At beholding him, a simultaneous shriek burst from 
the lips of the people, and there was a terrified backward 
rush of all who were nighest the cave, 

Martha, wildly uttering her brother’s name, fell for- 
ward upon her face, insensible. 

“ Loose him and let him go free /” said Jesus, calmly, 
addressing the petrified and amazed men who had taken 
away the stone. 

Mary was the first one who had the firmness to 
approach him, and as she began removing the napkin 
from the sides of his face, others, taking courage by her 
example, hastened to unswathe his arms and feet. In 
a few moments he was free from his outer grave-clothes, 
and the healthful color of his cheeks coming to him, his 
lips flushed brilliantly with red, his eyes looked natural, 
beaming with wonder and love as he gazed about him. 
Perceiving Jesus, he was about to cast himself at his 
feet in gratitude (for he seemed to have consciousness 
of all that had happened), but the mighty Prophet drew 
him to his embrace and kissed him. Mary, at first 
shrinking from awe,’ now threw herself, blind wdth tears 
of joy, into her brother’s arms ; and Martha raised up by 
him to his manly breast, his loved voice breathing ten- 
derly into her ear recalled her to the consciousness of 
her happiness. 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


809 


But my pen refuses to find language to express the 
unspeakable emotions of joy and gratitude, words of love 
and praise, that filled all hearts. Lazarus, the new-born 
from the dead, blooming in the rich hues of complete 
health, walked homeward by the side of Jesus, while 
the sisters hung upon him with deep thankfulness over- 
flowing their happy hearts. Now the great Prophet, 
now Lazarus, and now Jesus again, received the plaudits 
of the vast throng of people ! Hymns were chanted to 
Jehovah as we passed through the streets, and so many 
fell down to worship Jesus, that it was long before we 
crossed the threshold of the dwelling ; which Jesus did 
indeed enter with Lazarus by his side ! And Martha 
did see her brother sit at the table, and that night his 
head rested in deep slumber upon the flower-strewn pillow 
which her faith and love had prepared for him. 

Thus, my dear father, have I given you a recital of 
the particulars of this mighty miracle, the report of 
which has filled all Jerusalem with amazement, and 
must lead the priests and the people to acknowledge 
Jesus to be the Messias of Hod, him of whom Moses and 
the Prophets did write. Do you doubt longer, my deal 
father ? 

This letter will meet you at Haza. With the hope of 
soon embracing you, I remain as ever, 

Your loving daughter, 


Adina. 


310 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVTD 


LETTER XXVIII. 

Mv Dear Father : 

Your letter from Gaza came safely to my hands this 
morning, by the courtesy of the Roman courier of the 
Procurator. I read it with deep grief and feelings of the 
saddest disappointment. Instead of the letter, I expected 
to see you in person, and when I heard Elec call out 
that a horseman had alighted at the gate, I ran down 
into the court, crying, “ My father, my dearest father!” 
and when, instead of rushing into your embrace, I was 
met by the mailed and helmeted figure of an armed 
Roman, oh, you may judge of the reaction upon my heart. 
I read your letter with tears ; but you have taught me 
to bear patiently what cannot be revoked, and I have 
schooled my impatience till the God of our fathers shall 
bring you, in his own good time, to your loving and 
longing daughter. I trust that the two Arabian mer- 
chants, from Eziongeber, whom you are delaying to see, 
will not be long journeying to Gaza, and that on their 
arrival you will speedily conclude the commerce, which, 
you write, it is so important to your interests should be 
effected. In the meanwhile I will try and wait with 
serenity and peace the day of your coming, but continue 
to write to you as the only solace which can corr pensate 
for not beholding and speaking with you. Like all roy 


OR, ffHREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


311 


letters, dearest father, the theme of this will he Jesus, 
whose claims to he the Messiah I unspeakably rejoice to 
hear you are beginning to regard with more favorable 
eyes, saying in your last letter, these words, which made 
my heart bound with joy : 

“ Were I to resist the testimony of the miracles which 
this wonderful Nazarene Prophet has evidently done, 
especially the raising of Lazarus the scribe, from the 
dead, I fear I should be fighting against God ; for who 
can restore life and soul to the dead but Jehovah alone ! 
The fame of the raising of Lazarus, as well as many of 
the other miracles which he has done, has reached me 
by other channels than your letters, and the accounts 
fully corroborate all you have so enthusiastically written. 
Nay, there is now here in Gaza, on his return from Da- 
mascus to Alexandria, my friend, Abraham Gehazi, the 
silk-merchant, who was passing through Bethany at the 
moment, and, halting with his party, witnessed the 
miracle. He spoke with Lazarus, and cbnfesses to me 
that Jesus is evidently a mighty Prophet, sent from 
God ! I am willing to believe this, also, my daughter ! 
and when I behold him I am ready to do him the hom- 
age I would offer to Isaiah or Daniel, were they now 
alive. That he is the Christ, I cannot yet believe ; for 
Christ is to be a Prince and King, and to sit on the 
throne of David, and give laws to the nations ; before 
whom every crowned head shall fall prostrate, every 
knee bow in reverence, and at whose feet the sceptres 
of the earth shall be laid in submission ! A humble car- 
penter’s son, Prophet of God though he may be, cannot 
realize the idea of the august person of Messias ! Turn 
to Esaias, and behold how his language glitters with 


312 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


the splendor of the prophesies he enunciates of the power, 
glory, and dominion on earth, of the Son of David ! 
How can these prophetic words apply to the prophet 
whom you love to honor ? That the hand of the Lord 
is upon him, and that mighty works show forth them- 
selves in him, doubtless cannot be disputed ; but that 
he is the Shiloh of Jacob, the kingly Lion of the tribe of 
Judah, I cannot for a moment entertain the idea ; for, 
if I accept him as Messias, neither have I, nor my coun- 
trymen at large in Israel, nor the scribes, nor the fathers 
in Jerusalem, read the Prophets aright, but rather with 
eyes blindfolded ; for to Jesus they do not, cannot aim, 
else we have altogether misunderstood what is written 
in Moses and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, con- 
cerning the Christ.” 

Such, my dear father, is a part of your letter, which 
I quote, in order to reply to it, if I may do so without 
presumption. 

You confess, dearest father, that you are at length 
convinced that Jesus is a Prophet, and that G-od is with 
Him, for He could not do such great miracles except the 
power of G-od was upon Him. Now, if G-od co-operates 
with Jesus ; if G-od, so to speak, lends Him his power, 
endows Him with his own attributes, so that, like G-od, 
He heals, stills tempests, restores lost limbs, raises the 
dead from their graves alive again, it is because God 
has chosen Him from among men, in order to clothe 
Plim with his mighty and divine attributes. Now that 
He chose Him, and invested Him therewith, it is evident 
that He did so because He delights in Him ; because He 
loves Him, and would greatly honor Him. To be the 
chosen recipient, by the Lord God Jehovah, of such 
mighty powers, Jesus must be good, must be holy, 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY, 


313 


pious, and full of those holy virtues in which the 
Almighty delights ; in a word, God must approve of his 
character, and he content with whatsoever is done by 
Him. 

Now Jesus, thus favored by God, whose power to 
work miracles you yourself, my dear father, have con- 
fessed must be conferred by Jehovah alone, asserts dis- 
tinctly and everywhere that He is Messias, the Son of 
God, the Shiloh of Israel, of whom Moses and the Pro- 
phets so eloquently wrote. Besides claiming for himself 
this high character, He was heard, by both my uncle 
Amos and myself, in the synagogue at Bethany, two 
days after He raised Lazarus from the dead, to read 
from Esaias the words following, and apply them to 
himself, which He had done before at Nazareth : 

“ The spirit of the Lord is upon mo, because He hath 
anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor : He hath 
sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliver- 
ance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind : 
to set at liberty them that are bruised : to preach the 
acceptable year of the Lord.” 

When Pie had read this prophecy, which all our 
people, dear father, do acknowledge to refer to Messias 
when He cometh, He closed the book, gave it again to 
the officiating scribe, and sat down. The synagogue was 
thronged, so that people trode upon one another ; for the 
fame of his miracles had brought people to hear and see 
Him, not only from Jerusalem but from all Judea, and 
Decapolis, and beyond Jordan ; nay, his fame, it 
seemeth, is spread abroad in all the world. All eyes 
were now intent, and all ears were ready to hear what 
He should speak. He then said unto them : 

14 


314 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


“ This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears. Yo 
ask me, 0 scribes and men of Israel, to tell you plainly 
who I am — whether I am the Christ or no. What saith 
the Prophet of Messias when He shall come ? Ye have 
just heard his words. If such works as he prophesieth 
do show forth themselves in me, know ye not who I 
am?” 

Here a voice cried out in the assembly : 

“ Tell us plainly, art thou the Christ, the Son of the 
Highest ?” 

At this direct inquiry there was intense interest shown 
to hear the reply. 

Jesus seemed about to answer, when a man, whG 
stood near the reading desk, in whom was an unclean 
spirit, cried out, with a shrieking voice of mingled terror 
and awe : 

“ Let me alone ! Leave me as I am, thou Jesus of 
Nazareth ! Art thou come hither to destroy me ? I 
know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God !” 

Jesus rebuked the devil which possessed the man, 
(who was Jaius, a Roman proselyte of the gate, who 
had long spread terror in the suburbs, by his exceeding 
madness and ferocity,) and said, in a voice of a master 
commanding a bond-slave — 

“ Hold thy peace, Satan ! The Son of Man needeth 
not, though thou givest it, thy testimony. Hold thy 
peace, and come out of the man !” 

At this word the man uttered a fearful cry of despair 
and rage, and foaming at the mouth, cast himself, or 
rather was thrown down by the devil within him, to the 
ground ; where, after a moment’s terrific struggle, with 
contortions of bodily anguish, he lay senseless as if dead. 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


315 


Jesus took him by the hand, and he stood up, and, look- 
ing in the face of the Prophet with earnestness and 
wonder, hurst into tears of gratitude, exclaiming : 

“ I am escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowler ; 
the snare is broken, and I am escaped. God hath de- 
livered me out of the hand of my enemy !” He then sat 
at the feet of Jesus, calm, grateful, happy, and in his right' 
mind ! All gazed on him with wonder ; while from the 
great mass of the people rose a great shout, (for they were 
all amazed,) saying : 

“ This is none other than the Christ, the son of David ! 
This is the king of Israel ?” While the loud shouts of 
u Hosanna ! hosanna ! hosanna !” cheered by a thousand 
voices, “ Hosanna to our king !” shook like a passing 
storm the synagogue. 

When the noise had a little subsided, some of the 
Scribes and Pharisees said, reproving Him for not rebu- 
king these cries : 

“ Who is this that suffereth himself to be hailed as 
king ? This is treason to the emperor !” 

At this moment, iEmilius, the Roman knight, appeared 
at the door of the synagogue, attended by half a dozen 
soldiers. No sooner did the eyes of these wicked Jews 
catch the gleam of his helmet, and behold his tall 
plume rising above the heads of his people, than they 
cried out, as if with eager loyalty to their conquerors, at 
the same time looking at iEmilius to get his approba- 
tion : 

“ We Jews have no king but Caesar ! Down with the 
traitor ! He who maketh himself king rebels against 
our most mighty emperor. Away with him ! Arrest 
him, most noble Roman ! Drag him before the Procura- 
tor Pilate !” 


316 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUS^ OF DAVID: 


iEmilius — who well understands these envious Jews, 
who is wise in the knowledge of what Jesus teaches, and 
who loves Him as a brother, and reveres Him as a father 
— iEmilius remained quiet, giving no signs that he would 
do the will of these wicked enemies of the Prophet. 
Jesus then said, in a loud, clear voice : 

“ My kingdom is not of this world ! I seek not an 
earthly throne or earthly sceptre. My kingdom is from 
above. Ye say truly, I am king,” He added, with inde- 
scribable majesty of manner ; “ and hereafter ye shall 
behold me sitting upon the throne of heaven, high and 
lifted up, with the earth my footstool, when before me 
every knee shall how, of things in heaven, of things on 
earth, and things under the earth !” 

When He had thus far spoken, He could not proceed 
farther, on account of the sudden and immense uproar 
which his words produced. Some shouted “ hosannas 
others said He blasphemed ; one cried for the Roman 
guard, another for the priests, to eject Him from the 
tribune ; many rushed towards Him, to cast them- 
selves at his feet, while many, putting their fingers 
in their ears, hurried forth from the synagogue, cry- 
ing : 

“ His blasphemies will cause the house to fall upon 
us and crush us !” 

Never was such an uproar heard. In the midst of it 
Jesus conveyed himself away, none knew whither ; and 
when I returned to the house of Martha, I heard his low, 
earnest, touching voice in prayer to Hod, in his little 
chamber. He had sought its sacred quiet to he alone 
with his Father in Heaven ! At times I could hear Him 
praying and supplicating, in tones of the most heart-break- 


OR, THREE *EARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


317 


ing pathos ; at others, the silence of his room was only 
broken, at intervals, by sighs and pitiful groans, that 
seemed to come from a breaking and crushed heart ! 
Oh, what hand may remove the veil, and reveal what 
passed there in that holy retirement, between the Pro-, 
phet and his G-od ! 

It was late in the day when He came forth, Martha 
having softly tapped at his door, to say that the evening 
meal was prepared, and alone waited .for Him. When 
He appeared, his face was colorless and bore traces of 
weeping, and though He smiled kindly upon us all, as 
He was wont to do, there was a deep-seated sorrow 
upon his countenance that brought tears to my eyes ! 
iEmilius joined us at the table, and, with dear Lazarus 
and with uncle Amos, we passed a sacred hour ; for 
the Prophet ate not, but talked to us much and 
sweetly of the love of God ; and as all listened, the 
viands were forgotten, notwithstanding Martha more 
than once ventured to remind her blessed guest that 
such and such a thing was before Him, and that she 
had prepared it for Him with her own hands. But, 
like Him, we all feasted upon the heavenly food, the 
bread of life, which fell, like manna, from his consecrated 
lips. 

Such, then, my dear father, is the testimony, as you 
have seen in what I have above related, which Jesus 
publicly bears to himself, that He is the very Christ 
who should come into the world. There can be no 
further doubt of the fact now that He has so plainly 
stated it, pointing to the prophecies, which Ho is daily 
fulfilling by mighty works, in proof of the truth of his 
assertion. 


318 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID. 


Now, to what irresistible conclusion, to what inevita- 
ble consequence, do we arrive ? Is it not that He is 
the Christ ? This result cannot he avoided. Either 
Jesus is Messias, as He asserts, and his miracles prove, 
or He is not. Now if He is not, then is He not a de- 
ceiver of the people, as well as a blasphemer of Jehovah ? 
If so, we then have the Almighty conferring upon an 
impostor his own Almighty attributes, giving him power 
to heal, to cast out devils, to control the elements, to raise 
the dead ! that is, hearing testimony to the truth of one 
whom He never sent, empowered, nor authorized to he 
his Christ ! 

Moreover, the miracles of Jesus, you admit, prove Him 
to have come from God, while you deny his claim to be 
Messias. Now, if Jesus truly came from God, as, look- 
ing at his miraculous power, you readily concede, He 
cannot he a sinner, and, therefore, cannot assert of him- 
self what is not true. Yet He asserts that He is the 
Christ! He, then, either did come from God, or 
there is no truth in Him ! But you will not consent to 
charge such character upon a man who heals with a word, 
who casts out demons, who raises the dead to life, and 
who proclaims such pure precepts, and the necessity of 
holiness in men, in order to enjoy the favor of God ! 
We, therefore, are forced to the irresistible conclusion, 
that either the miraculous power with which Jesus is 
invested, is derived from God, and that He is, as He 
says, the true and very Christ of the prophets and patri- 
archs, or that God has endowed a blasphemer of His 
name, with His own powers, and endorses the imposture 
by continuing these powers to Him in every miracle 
that He performs. Do not, by any artful subterfuge, 


OR, THREE YEARS IN' THE HOLY CITY. 


319 


dearest father, attempt to avoid this conclusion ! Jesus 
is the Christ, or we make both Grod and the Prophet co- 
partners in an enormous imposture ! 

Pardon me, dearest father, if I am too warm and 
urgent in my efforts to bring you to accept Jesus as the 
Christ. Convinced, as I am, that He is Messias, I can- 
not but ardently desire that you, also, should come to 
the knowledge of this truth. What He is yet to be, 
how He is yet to develop his majesty and power, is un- 
known to us all. Some do think that He will enter 
Jerusalem, ere long, attended by tens of thousands of 
his followers, and that before Him Pilate will peaceably 
vacate his Procuratoral chair, and retire, not only from 
the Holy City but from J udea, with his legions ! that 
Jesus will ascend the throne of David ! the glory of the 
age of Solomon be revived under his rule ! and with the 
kingdom of Judah for the centre of his power, that He 
will extend the sceptre of his dominion from sea to sea, 
and from the river of Egypt and of the East, to the ends 
of the earth, till all nations shall fall down before Him, 
emperors and kings sit at his feet, and every tongue and 
language and speech in the whole world acknowledge 
Him to be the King of Israel, King of kings and Lord 
of lords ! while, under the splendor of his reign, Jerusa- 
lem and Judah will be more powerful than all the cities 
and kingdoms that have ever been on the earth, and to 
the dominion and glory of our people there will be no 
end ! 

Such, dear father, is the future of the Prophet, as 
looked for by all his disciples, save one, and this is John, 
the betrothed of my cousin Mary. He is more closely 
intimate with Jesus than any other man ; and is so be- 


320 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID: 


loved by Him that He makes known to him many things 
which He withholds from the rest. John, on hearing 
our views of the coming glory of the Prophet, looks sadly, 
and says * 

“ Not now — not here — not in this world ! The glory 
of Jesus you will behold, but first we must pass through 
the valley of darkness, the gate of. the tomb. His king- 
dom is not on the earth, but in the heavens. Here, I 
fear, He will pass through suffering and sorrow, and, 
perhaps, a painful death, for He has told me that He 
came to suffer and die, and that He can only win, bleed- 
ing from every vein, the kingdom over which He is 
hereafter to reign in endless dominion ! Prepare your 
hearts, dear friends,” he would say, “ to be rent, and 
your eyes for tears, rather than fill your imaginations 
with pictures of glory, splendor, and power. He has dis- 
tinctly said to me, ‘ I must first suffer many things at 
the hands of men, before I enter upon my reign of glory. 
The Jews will seek me to kill me, and I shall be taken 
from among you ; but let not sorrow fill your hearts. 
Death can have no power over me save such as I permit it 
to hold. I lay down my life, and I take it again. Through 
much tribulation and sorrow must the Son of Grod win 
the sceptre of this earth from him who hath the power 
over the nations, even from Satan, the prince of this 
world. I shall conquer, but I must first fall. Yet fear 
not ! I shall make death the gateway to Paradise for 
you all !’ 

“ Such,” says John, “ are the mysterious and sorrow- 
ful words which He has often spoken to me. "What they 
mean, or how to understand them, I know not ; for I 
cannot comprehend how He who can raise the dead can 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. f 321 


die, or how He who can calm a tempest can suffer him- 
self to he taken and slain by men, the tempest of whose 
wrath He could as easily pacify !” 

Thus, dear father, do we discourse together about this 
wonderful Prophet, whose future life is all a mystery, 
save that, from the prophecies, we know it is to be in- 
conceivably glorious — from his own lips, to be inconceiv- 
ably sorrowful. But, whether on a throne, giving laws 
to the world, or in the dust, borne down by the deepest 
woe, I shall still love, honor, reverence Him, and trust 
in Him, as my Saviour, my Prince, and the Holy One 
of God ! 

Your devoted and loving 

Adina. 


LETTER XXIX. 

My Dearest Father : 

With what emotions of grief and amazement 1 com- 
mence this letter, you can form no just conception. 
Jesus, the Prophet of God, is a prisoner to the Roman 
power ! He is accused of making himself a king, and 
of a conspiracy to re-establish the throne of David ! And 
who, think you, have accused Him of this noble effort 
but the Jews, our own, his own people ! men who should 
glory in seeing the dominion of the Caesars at an end ; 
men who should blush longer to have Mount Zion com- 
manded by a Roman citadel. These base, degraded, 
and wicked scribes and priests, whom I am ashamed to 
call my countrymen, have accused the divinely-gifted 
14 * 


322 THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 

Jesus, before Pilate, of rebellion and treason ! And at 
this moment, while I write, He is in the ward-room of 
the Procurator’s palace, held a close prisoner ! 

But I fear not the issue ! He cannot be holden of his 
foes, save by his own free will. He can, with a word, 
turn his chains into bands of sand, and by a glance ren- 
der his guards dead men ! He will, therefore, escape 
their bonds ! They can have no power over Him. But 
will not the Lord Grod punish our nation for this sin and 
enmity against His Christ ? You will ask, my father, 
why, if He possesses such mighty power, hath He 
suffered himself to be taken prisoner ? This question I 
cannot answer. It troubles me. I wonder, and am 
transfixed with amazement. Every one around me asks 
the same question. Our house is thronged with his 
friends, who, midnight as it is, have come hither to hear 
if the rumor be true. Five of his disciples are with 
uncle Amos in the court, giving an account of the man- 
ner of his arrest, which I will relate to you, although it 
increases the mystery. 

It seems that to-day, after eating the Passover with 
his twelve chosen friends, and instituting a new and 
•peculiar feast with wine and bread, which He told them 
impressively would be his last supper with them, He 
went forth towards Olivet, and there seating himself 
beneath the shade of a tree, He talked with them very 
sadly, saying “ that his hour was come, that He had 
ended his work, and that He was about to be delivered 
into the hands of sinful men !” 

John, upon being questioned by cousin Mary and my- 
self, gave the following narrative : “It was evening, and 
the south side of Olivet lay in deep shadow. We were 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


323 


all sorrowful. We felt, each one of us, as if some 
grievous evil was pending over us. The tones of our 
beloved Master’s voice moved us to tears, quite as much 
as his words, which latter were full of mystery. We 
were all present, except Iscariot, who had remained in 
the city to discharge the costs, he being our purse- 
bearer, of the Passover Supper, and pay for the hire of 
the room. At that supper Jesus had said very plainly, 
that one of our number would betray Him into the 
hands of the priests ; who, since his triumphant entry 
into the Holy City, preceded and followed by the 
multitude, shouting hosannas, and proclaiming Him 
Messias, had diligently sought his life. At hearing our 
Lord say these strange words in accent^ of touching 
reproach, we were all deeply moved ; and Peter and the 
rest at once questioned Him, individually, if it were 
they. 1 Lord, is it I ?’ and another, 1 Lord, is it I ?’ I 
was resting at the moment, with my face on the shoul- 
der of Jesus, and said, softly : ‘ Lord, who is it that be- 
trayeth thee ? I will forthwith lay hands upon him, 
and prevent his doing thee harm I’ Jesus shook his 
head, and smiling gently said : 

“ ‘ My beloved brother, thou knowest not what thou 
wouldst do. The Son of Man must needs be betrayed 
by his own friends, but woe unto him who betrayeth 
me. Mark which of the twelve dippeth bread with me 
into the dish !’ 

“ I looked, and saw Judas reach forward and dip into 
the dish at the same instant with Jesus; but in his 
eagerness, or from conscious guilt, his hand trembled, 
he spilled the salt over the board, and the sop fell from 
his grasp into the bowlj upon which Jesus gave him 


324 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAYID: 


the piece He held, saying to him, with a remarkable ex- 
pression in his clear, piercing eyes : 

“ ‘ Judas, that thou doest do quickly !’ 

“We were surprised at the tone and manner in 
which this was spoken, hut supposed the words had 
reference to some of Judas’s duties as bearer of the 
purse, little suspecting what fearful thing he was to do ! 
Instantly Judas rose from the table, and without a 
reply, or casting a look at any of us, went out. 

“ For a few moments, after his footsteps had ceased 
to be heard, there prevailed a heavy silence in the cham- 
ber; for a strange fear had fallen upon us, why, we 
could not tell ; and looking into one another’s faces, and 
then into our dear Master’s, we seemed to await some 
dread event. His face was placid, and full of affection, 
as He looked upon us. The momentary cloud which 
shaded the noble profile when He spoke to Judas, had 
all passed off, and there was the serenity of a cloudless 
sky in his face.” 

“ What was the mysterious feast which He instituted ?” 
asked Mary, interrupting him here. 

“ You may properly call it mysterious,” he answered. 
“ As we were eating the Passover, Jesus took up bread, 
and blessing it by a solemn act of consecration, broke it 
with his hands and gave a portion to each of us, saying 
with it, 6 Take, eat ! this is my body !’ 

“ Awed and impressed by his manner and the act, we 
all received and ate it as He commanded us to do (for 
who there would disobey his Lord ?) as reverently as if 
it were the holy shew-bread of the Temple, dedicated to 
God’s use ! When we had eaten in silence what we 
perceived was the inauguration of a new and most 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


325 


sacred feast by his own hand, He took up the cup of 
wine, consecrated it also, by giving thanks and blessing. 
The hallowed cup He now offered to each one of us. We 
all drank of it with deep devotion, for He said to us, ‘ I 
will drink no more with you the fruit of the vine until 
that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.’ 
He also said of the wine — 

‘ This is my Blood !’ ” 

“ And how do you understand these .words, that the 
bread consecrated was his body, and the wine was his 
blood ?” I asked of the disciple. 

“ That is an inquiry I canjiot answer,” said John. “ It 
is a mystery. But my Lord says it shall be made clear 
to us by-and-by. 

“We then sang the Passover hymn to God, and went 
out at his command to go to Olivet. As we went He 
discoursed with us : 

“ ‘ My children,’ He said, ‘ I am to be with you but a 
little while longer. The hour of my departure is at 
hand. Remember my last words — Love one another ! 
In this shall all men know that ye are my disciples.’ 

“ ‘ Lord,’ cried Peter, 1 we will go with thee ! Thou 
shalt not leave us, nor go without us!’ 

“ 1 The priests seek to kill thee, and thy footsteps are 
watched !’ exclaimed Andrew, earnestly. 

“ 1 We will not suffer thee, dear Rabbi, to go abroad 
alone,’ said James, with enthusiasm ; ‘ our hearts and 
hands will defend thee !’ 

“‘Whither wilt thou depart, Lord?’ I asked, with 
emotion. ‘ Thou wilt not trust thyself to the Jews ?’ 

“ Thus we all, eagerly and tearfully, gathered around 


326 


THE PEINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


Him, alarmed and grieved at the Words He had said 
He regarded us lovingly, and said : 

“ 4 Little children, I must leave you. Whither I go 
you cannot come !’ 

“ 4 Though thou wentest to the uttermost parts of the 
sea, I will follow thee, my Master and Lord !’ exclaimed 
Peter. 4 Whither goest thou, that we may not follow ? 
I will lay down my life for thee, and so will all these !’ 

44 With one voice we asserted our devotion to our 
beloved Master* and secretly I asked Him whither He 
intended to go, and why He forbade us to go with 
Him? 

44 4 As Abraham bound Isaac, his son, and laid him 
upon the wood, so shall my Father cause me to be bound 
and laid upon the wood, a sacrifice for the sins of his 
people !’ 

44 4 Not so ! not so, Lord !’ cried Peter. 4 I will die 
for thee, ere this thing happen to thee I’ And the warm- 
hearted disciple placed himself by the side of Jesus, as 
if to defend him. 

44 4 Wilt thou die for me, Peter ?’ said Jesus, gazing 
on him with a sad, sweet look : 4 Verily, verily, Peter, 
thou little knowest thyself. The cock shall not crow 
twice, heralding the coming morning, ere thou shalt 
thrice deny that thou knowest me !’ 

44 4 Deny thee, Lord !’ repeated Peter, with amazed 
grief and horror in his looks. 

' 4 4 Yes, Peter,’ answered Jesus, firmly, but kindly, 
4 deny that thou ever knewest me ; for the time draweth 
near when there will be safety only in confessing igno 
ranee of Jesus the Nazarene. And all ye,’ He added, 
while his voice grew tremulous, and tears glistened in 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


327 


his eyes, ‘all ye shall be offended because of me, this 
night ; ye shall be ashamed to confess that ye are my 
disciples, and ye will think me a deceiver, and will be 
displeased at me. Yea, every one of you shall desert 
me ; for thus it is written : “ The Shepherd shall be 
smitten, and the sheep shall be scattered !” 7 

“ At hearing these words we knew not what to an- 
swer ; but I kissed my dear Lord’s hand, and said, 
that if danger were hanging over Him, as it seemed, I 
would share it with Him ! 

“When Pie saw that our hearts were troubled, and 
that we were sad, and that the faithful Philip sobbed 
aloud, at being supposed capable of abandoning his Mas- 
ter, He added, ‘Let not your hearts be troubled ; I go 
to prepare a place for you in my Father’s house !’ 

“ ‘ Thy father, Lord, no longer liveth in Nazareth : 
and, were he alive, there are but two small apartments 
in his humble house,’ said Thomas ; ‘ how sayest thou 
that we are all to lodge there ?’ 

“ ‘ Thomas, thou canst understand only what thine 
eyes see. I speak of my Father who is in Heaven. In 
His house are many mansions.’ 

“ Jesus then, as we drew near Cedron, began plainly 
to tell us that Pie was to die, and that by his death we 
should be admitted into a heavenly paradise, and live 
forever. We could not understand all He said, but we 
knew that He was soon to be taken from us ; and 
sorrow filled all our hearts. After discoursing with us 
in the most touching words, He at length said : 

“ ‘ Come, let us go over Cedron to the side of Olivet 
into the garden we so much love to walk in.’ 

“ We went on with Him, inclosing Him as a guard, 


328 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


to conceal his person from the Jewish spies, as well as 
to defend Him. Peter and James went before. In this 
way we had passed through the gloomy streets of the 
city, and forth from the gate, which Pilate suffered to be 
open day and night, on account of the crowds at the 
Passover, continually coming in and going out. The 
full moon shone brightly, and by its light glancing on 
the face of Jesus, by whom I walked, I saw that it 
was sadder than its wont, while He spoke but little. 

44 We at length crossed the brook, and entered the 
dark groves of Olivet. Familiar with all the paths, we 
advanced to a central group of venerable olive-trees, 
beneath which, tradition says, Abraham used to sit ; and 
there Jesus, turning to us, said in a voice of the deepest 
woe : 

44 4 Friends, the hour of my time of trial is come ! 
My work is ended. I would be alone ! Remain you 
here, and watch, for we shall be sought for. Come with 
me, Peter, and you, also, James. I am going to pray 
yonder.’ 

44 4 Take me, also, dear Lord,’ I said, sorrowfully. 

4 4 4 Yes, thou art always with me, beloved,’ He an- 
swered ; 4 1 will not leave thee now.’ 

. 44 So leaving the eight friends to keep watch against 
the intrusion of his enemies, who were known to be 
everywhere seeking Him, He walked away to the most 
secluded recesses of the garden. He stopped at the 
place, near the rock, where Adam is said to have hidden 
from Jehovah ; and, saying to us, in a sorrowful tone, 

4 Tarry ye here, while I go apart and pray to my Father,’ 
Pie went from us about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, 
where a thick olive-branch, hanging low to the ground, 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


329 


concealed Him from our view. I was so solicitous lest 
He should leave us, and we should see Him no more, 
that I soon softly advanced near to the spot, and beheld 
Him prostrate on the ground, while deep groans broke 
from his heart. I heard his voice murmuring, but 
could not distinguish the words broken by grief ; only 
the tones were those of strange horror and dread. 

“ As He prayed thus, in great agony, I suddenly be- 
held a swift light pass by me, as if from the skies, and, 
lo ! an angel stood by the side of Jesus, bending over 
Him, and raising Him up from the ground. A soft 
bright glory shone around the spot, so that Peter, seeing 
it, advanced towards me, supposing some one had en- 
tered the garden, bearing a torch. I beckoned to Peter 
to be motionless, and he gazed with me in speechless 
astonishment and admiration upon the form of the angel, 
from whose glorious face was emitted the radiance 
which illumined the place where Jesus was. As the 
angel raised Jesus from the ground, we saw that his 
divine countenance was convulsed with anguish ; and 
upon his brow stood great shining drops of sweat, min- 
gled with blood, which oozed from his pallid temples, 
and, rolling down his marble cheeks, dropped to the 
ground. Never had we beheld a human visage so 
marred by sorrow, so deeply graven with the . lines of 
agony. 

“ The angel seemed to utter soothing words, and 
pointed, with his shining hand, towards heaven, as if to 
encourage Him with hope and give Him strength. The 
face of Jesus grew more serene ; He raised his eyes 
heavenward with a divine expression of holy submission, 
and cried, in a strong voice : 


330 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


61 1 Thy will, not mine, 0 God, be done !’ 

“ The angel then embraced Him, as if strengthening 
Him, and soaring upward, disappeared like a star re- 
turning into the blue depths of heaven ; while Peter 
and I stood by wondering, and full of awe at what we 
beheld !” 

“ How looked the angel ?” I asked of John, interrupt- 
ing him in his recital. 

“As a young and noble youth, with a countenance so 
dazzling I could not look upon him steadily. He seemed 
to be clothed in flowing raiment, silvery white ; and a 
fragrance more delicate and grateful than the subtilest 
attar of roses of India, was diffused by his presence 
throughout the garden, while the sound of his voice seem- 
ed to fill all the air with strange musical vibrations, un- 
like anything heard on earth.” 

“ Had the angel wings ?” asked Mary. 

“ Nay, I could not well discern,” answered John. 
“ His robes seemed to shape themselves into wings, as 
he rose from the earth ; and when he stood they flowed 
with living grace about his god-like form. After the 
departure of the angel from heaven, Jesus seemed calmer, 
and as we did not wish to intrude upon his sacred pri- 
vacy, we softly returned to where James lay asleep. 
We remained for some time conversing together upon 
the wonderful vision we had seen, which confirmed us 
in the certainty that Jesus came from God, and was in 
truth the Messias, that should come ; but at length, 
wearied with our day’s excitements, we must have fallen 
asleep, for we were suddenly startled by the voice of our 
dear Master saying : 

“ 6 Why sleep ye, children ? But the hour is past 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


331 


for watching. Ye may sleep on now, for though your 
flesh is weary, your spirit is willing. I need your aid no 
longer 1’ 

44 But we refused to sleep longer. We then advanced 
to where the other disciples were, and found them also 
asleep. 

44 4 Arise, let us he going 1’ cried Jesus, in a tone that 
roused them to their feet ; 4 lo, they are at hand who 
seek me !’ 

44 While He was speaking, we saw many torches gleam- 
ing through the trees, along King David’s walk, and the 
tramp of feet fell on our ears. We soon saw a large party 
advancing into the midst of the garden, who walked 
rapidly, and spoke only in under-tones. We at once 
took the alarm and said to Jesus : 

44 4 Fly, dear Master ! Let us ascend the hill, and es- 
cape by the way to Bethany ; for these are enemies.’ 

“ 4 Nay,’ answered our dear Master ; 4 I must submit 
to my Father’s will. It must needs be that I deliver 
myself into the hands of these men ; how else shall the 
Scriptures be fulfilled ! Seek safety in flight for your- 
selves ; but I must go whither they will lead me.’ 

“ 4 Not so, Lord,’ answered Peter. 4 There is time for 
thee to escape ; or if not, we will stand by thee and de- 
fend thee !’ 

44 So said all the disciples. Jesus shook his head, and 
said, with a sad smile : 4 Ye know not now what ye say, 
or would do. My hour is come 1’ 

44 While He yet spake the multitude drew nearer, and 
those who had the lead, raising their torches high above 
their heads, discovered us, with Jesus in the midst. To 
my surprise I beheld Judas acting as their guide, for he 


332 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


alone knew where his Master was to be found at that 
hour. Upon discovering Jesus, this wicked man ran 
forward, with expressions of friendship in his face, and 
kissed Jesus on the cheek, saying : 

“ ‘ Hail, Master ! I am glad I have found thee !’ 

“ ‘ Judas,’ said Jesus, ‘ betrayest thou the Son of Man 
with a kiss T 

“ When Judas heard this he turned to the multitude, 
at the head of which I recognized some of the chief 
priests, and of the most learned scribes of the Temple, 
and cried aloud : 

“ ‘ This is He ! seize Him, and hold Him fast !’ 

“ Thereupon the crowd, to the number of full ten- 
score men, among whom were the vilest sort of people, 
rushed forward to lay hands upon Jesus ; the moon and 
torches together shedding almost the bright light of day 
into the garden upon the whole group. 

‘ ‘At seeing them advance so furiously, with spears, 
and clubs, and swords, Peter and James placed them- 
selves before Jesus, to defend Him, while I, being un- 
armed, cast myself across his breast, to shield his heart 
with my body. The more bold men in the crowd com- 
ing too near, Peter smote one of them with his sword, 
as he was reaching out his arm to grasp Jesus by the 
shoulder, and clave off his ear. At seeing this the 
crowd uttered a fierce shout, and were pressing upon 
us, when Jesus raised the palm of his hand, and said, 
quietly : 

“ 1 Whom seek ye ?’ 

“ Instantly the whole mass rolled backward, like a 
receding billow rebounding from the face of an immov- 
able rock, and every man thereof fell with his forehead 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


333 


to the ground, where they all lay for a minute stunned ! 
We twelve alone stood, for Judas had not been struck 
down, and now remained gazing with amazement and 
terror upon the prostrate enemies of Jesus. 

“ i Lord !’ cried Peter, astonished, ‘ if thou canst thus 
repel thy foes, thou needest not fear them more. Shall 
I smite Judas also ?’ 

“ 1 Nay — put up thy sword, Peter ! Let him remain 
to witness my power, that he may know that he nor 
his have any power over me, save that I give them.’ 

“While He was thus speaking, the people and soldiers 
rose to their feet, and instead of flying, they seemed to 
be infuriated at their discomfiture ; and the chief priests 
crying out that it was by sorcery that they had been thus 
stricken down, they rushed madly forward, and laid their 
hands upon Jesus, and upon us all ! In vain I contended 
against numbers to rescue Jesus ; overpowered we were 
defeated, and driven from the garden, leaving Jesus in 
the hands of his enemies !” 

When John had gone thus far in his relation, dear 
father, our tears and his were mingled. We wondered 
that Jesus, who could, as He had shown, destroy his 
enemies with a wave of his hand, should suffer them to 
make Him their prisoner ; for in their hands He knew 
He must die! This amazes and bewilders us. At 
one moment we are tempted to lose our confidence in 
Him, and believe, as many now begin to say, that we 
have been following a deceiver, and in the next to trust 
fully in Him, and that He will yet overcome his ene- 
mies, and be restored to us. Every step we hear at the 
door makes our pulses bound, for we think it may be 
that of our beloved Lord escaped from the hands of his 


334 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


captors. We must wait the issue with hope and faith ! 
To-morrow will, perhaps, reveal all. The mystery that 
more and more envelopes this great Prophet is inscru- 
table. The seeming contradictions that make up his 
prophetic character, bewilder us. But we try and com- 
fort ourselves with the word of his. promise : 

“ Ye know not now, hut ye shall know by-and-by, 
and shall believe truly, that I came out from God! 
What now seems to you mysterious, shall be made clear 
as light. Wait, and have faith, and all shall be made 
known which now you understand not. Let no trials and 
degradations ye see me pass through cause your faith to 
fail. I am come into this world to conquer ; hut it is 
expedient first that I humble myself ; but if I stoop, it 
is to raise up the world with me, when I rise again !” 

Ah, it is stooping, indeed, for this Prince of the Pro- 
phets to suffer himself to be led away bound by his foes ! 
But we hope with trembling, dear father, trustfully re- 
membering his words ! 

I have omitted to mention to you what more John 
related as wonderful, touching the arrest of the Prophet. 
“As the chief priests bound and laid their hands on 
Him, there was,” he said, “ heard in the air the sound 
of myriads of rushing wings, and notes like the gather- 
ing signal of a trumpet, echoing and re-echoing in the 
skies, as if a countless host of invisible beings were 
marshalling, armies by armies, in mid-heaven ! At 
these fearful and sublime sounds all raised their heads, 
hut could behold nothing! Then Jesus said, with a 
majestic and. commanding look, such as I never before 
beheld upon his face : 

“ ‘ Ye hear, oh, men of Israel, that I am not without 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


335 


heavenly friends ! I have only to pray my Father, 
which is in Heaven, and He will hid twelve legions of 
his angels, now hovering, sword-armed, in the air, and 
yearning to defend me from my foes, descend to my aid ! 
But I may not use my powers for myself ! I came on 
earth to suffer. As man, I must submit to all things 
that come upon me, nor make use of more means in my 
behalf than a man can command. For this I came into 
the world. Lead on ! I go with you !’ ” 

Thus, dear father, was Jesus borne away by a fierce 
multitude, and dragged into the city, followed by a 
shouting and insulting crowd, who, seeing that, not- 
withstanding his miraculous powers, they could so easily 
secure and hold Him, mocked Him only the more, ma- 
king light of powers which could not be exercised to 
prevent the capture of his person. Some of them even 
reviled Him on the way, and sneeringly asked Him to 
call down his twelve legions of angels ; while others 
pretended they were hungry and thirsty, and would 
have Him turn water into wine for them, and to give 
them bread by another miracle of loaves. 

John, whose interest in, and affection for Jesus, led 
him to follow them, heard all this ; but Jesus made no 
answer, only walking quietly along, patiently enduring 
all they said and did. 

As they entered the city gate, the Roman guard, see- 
ing the immense crowd and uproar, stopped them to 
learn the cause of the commotion. 

“ 1 We have here a traitor and conspirator, 0 captain 
of the guard,’ answered Eli, the chief priest; ‘ a pesti- 
lent fellow, who calls himself Christ, a king. We have, 
therefore, with this band of hired soldiers, taken him, as 


336 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID : 


he was met secretly, with twelve of his fellow conspira- 
tors, plotting to overthrow the government of Caesar, and 
make himself king of Judea.’ 

“ 4 Long live Caesar ! Long live the emperor,’ shouted 
the Roman soldiers. 4 We have no king but Augustus 
Imperator !’ 

44 Upon this, many of the soldiers cried, 4 Take him 
before the Procurator ! He will give him his deserts, 
who would take his Procuratorship from him ? To 
Pilate ! to Pilate !’ 

44 4 To Annas !’ shouted the Jews. 4 First, to Annas!’ 

44 Then, with some shouting one thing, and others an- 
other thing, and with vast numbers of those who had 
come up to the Passover pressing to get a sight of the 
Prophet, He was hurried towards the house of Annas, 
who is the most popular man among our people, and 
whose influence over them is unbounded. On reaching, 
with great uproar of voices, and by the glare of torches, 
the dwelling of the High Priest’s son-in-law, they called 
him to the roof of the house, upon which he appeared in 
his night apparel, for it was by this time past the hour of 
midnight. 

44 When Annas knew that the prisoner was Jesus, he 
uttered a fearful oath expressive of his joy and wicked 
satisfaction, and hastily robing and coming down into 
the court, he bade them bring the prisoner in. But the 
calm majesty of Jesus abashed him, and checked the 
course of insulting questions he began putting to Him. 
At length, finding that the Prophet would make him no 
reply, he caused Him to be bound still more closely 
with more cords, lest He should, like Samson, rend his 
bonds and escape on the way, and sent Him to Caiaphas 
the High Priest, saying to Him : 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 337 

“ 6 Caiaphas will find voice for thy tongue, 0 Proph- 
et ! So, thou wouldst destroy the Temple, and callest 
thyself the Son of the Lord Jehovah! Out, blasphemer! 
Away with him, or the house will he swallowed up 
with the presence of one so impious. Away with the 
man ! By the crown of David ! Pilate will make thee 
king in truth, and give thee a Roman throne, to which, 
so that thou mayest not presently fall from it, he will 
nail thee foot and hand !’ 

“ At this the cruel crowd shouted their approbation, 
and many cried : 

“ ‘ Ay ! To the cross ! to the cross with him !’ 

“ But others said : ‘ Nay, hut to Caiaphas !’ The 
captain of the Roman soldiers resolved that He should 
be taken before Pilate, and led the way thither, Jesus 
hound in the midst. 

With renewed uproar, they tumultuously pressed for- 
ward, their way lighted by the red glare of a hundred 
torches, insulting the Roman soldiers with seditious 
cries ! John followed, hut being recognized as one of 
his disciples, by a soldier in iEmilius’ legion, he was 
seized and only escaped by leaving his apparel in the 
grasp of the rude Roman ; for such was the prevalent 
hatred to Jesus, that they threateningly called for his 
followers, and would have taken them also had it been 
in their power. Five of the disciples, who have escaped 
arrest, are now in this house, whither John fled, also, 
on eluding the grasp of the soldier, leaving his linen gar- 
ment in his hand. We are all so sad and anxious ! To 
move in favor of Jesus is only to share his fate, and 
do Him no service ; besides, I am pained to say, two 
or three of his disciples begin to doubt whether He is 

15 


338 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID : 


Messias, since, instead of establishing his promised 
kingdom, He is now held a prisoner, and even menaced 
with death. 

Yet, through all, dear father, I do trust in Him, and 
hope ! Oh, I cannot doubt his truth and power. I 
have seen Him bring Lazarus up from the grave, and 
I will not believe but that He can save himself, and 
will save himself, from their hands ! It is only when 
I shall behold Him, really, no more — see Him really 
dead ! that my faith in his divine mission will waver. 
If He should be slain, then, alas ! not only will per- 
ish forever all my hopes, and those of his trembling, 
weeping disciples, but the hopes of the restoration 
and glory of Judah ; for verily we have believed that 
it is He which should have delivered Israel ! With 
eyes blinded with tears, I can scarcely subscribe my- 
self, 

Your sad but loving daughter, 

Adina. 


LETTER XXX. 

My Dear Father : 

I know not how to write — I know not what to say ! 
Dismay and sorrow fill my heart. I feel as if life were 
a burden too heavy to bear ! Disappointment and regrets 
are all that remain to me ! He, in whom I trusted — 
He, whom thousands in Judah had begun to look upon 
as the Hope of the nation — He who, as his now wretched 
disciples trusted, would have redeemed Israel — Jesus , 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


339 


has been delivered, this morning, by the Roman Procu- 
rator, to be condemned to death, and — they have cruci- 
fied Him! 

Tears of grief unutterable fall upon the parchment as 
I write, and, more eloquently than any words, tell you 
how I am smitten by this heavy, heavy blow ! Jesus ; 
the noble, mild, courteous, and wise Prophet, who taught 
with such grace and wisdom, and whom we believe to 
be sent from Gfod to be the Saviour of our people, and 
the Prince who should sit on the throne of David, to 
restore the former splendor of our nation — is dead ! 
With Him, alas ! have perished all our hopes ! When 
He bowed his bleeding head on the cross, the necks ol 
weeping Judah bent once more to the dust, to receive 
the yoke of Rome, from which they believed He would 
have delivered them. With Him has been quenched the 
rising light of the sun of the Messias, who we hoped 
and believed He was ! But we hope no more ! The 
daughters of Israel may now sit in the dust and cover 
themselves with veils of woe ; for He in whom they 
trusted is dead ! Confounded and dismayed, his follow- 
ers wander in the fields, or hide themselves from the 
multitude who seek their lives, also. Alas ! I cannot 
refrain from weeping bitter, bitter tears. How hath 
the Lord covered the daughters of Zion with a cloud in 
his anger, and cast down from heaven unto earth the 
beauty of Israel. “ All they that that pass by, as saith 
the Prophet, “ will clap their hands at us, who trusted 
in Him and wag their heads at the daughters of Jerusa- 
lem : Is this the man — the mighty Prophet whom men 
called the Son of the Highest, the Messias of God — the 
Prince of David — the excellency of wisdom and the joy 


340 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID • 


of the earth ? The punishment of thine iniquity is ac- 
complished, 0 Daughter of Zion !” 

Thus do I weep, and thus do I complain ; for verily 
fear and a snare are come upon us — desolation and de- 
struction, 0 my father ! We know not which way to 
turn. He in whom we trusted has proved as one of us , 
weak and impotent, and has suffered death without 
power to save himself. He that saved others could not 
escape the death of the Roman cross ! While I write, I 
hear the priest Abner, in the court below, mocking my 
uncle Amos in a loud voice : 

“ Your Messias is dead ! A famous great prophet, 
surely, you Nazar enes have chosen — born in a manger, 
and crucified as a thief! Said I not that he who could 
speak against the Temple and the priesthood was of 
Beelzebub ?” 

Rabbi Amos makes no reply ! Shame and despair 
seal his lips ! Thus our enemies triumph over us, and 
we answer only with confusion of face. Even the dis- 
ciples are outlawed, and a reward is offered by Caiaphas 
for their arrest ; and all those who, two days ago, were 
so full of hope, and proud to sit at the feet of Jesus, or 
to follow Him whithersoever He went, now fear to con- 
fess that they have ever known or seen Him. It is only 
the high rank, as a priest, of my uncle Amos, which 
protects him or his household from arrest ! 

But, my dear father, to whom I have ever confided all 
my feelings and thoughts, shall we pronounce Jesus an 
impostor ? Oh, can He whose very countenance was 
stamped with celestial dignity, whose lips dispensed 
truths such as the wisest philosophers and holiest pro- 
phets have loved to study and teach — whose whole life 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


341 


has been blameless, and who has lived only to do good — 
can He be, must He be pronounced a deceiver ? When 
I recall the sick He has cured, the indigent He has 
relieved, the mourners He has comforted, the ignorance 
He has enlightened, the dead He has up-raised, the 
sublime truths He has taught, his love of (rod, his re- 
spect for the worship of the Temple, the perfect morality 
of his daily life, the sincerity of all He said, and the 
universal sympathy which seemed to fill his bosom for 
all who were in sorrow — I cannot, oh, I cannot bring 
my pen to write the word “ impostor,” in association 
with his name. But what shall I substitute ? Alas ! I 
feel desolate and miserable, like those who, confiding all 
their heart’s treasures to another’s keeping, whom they 
believed good and true, find that he was unworthy of 
confidence and betrays their trust. Jesus asserted that 
He came on earth to establish a kingdom, and sit on the 
throne of David — and that all nations would, through 
Him, receive their laws from Jerusalem. Where, now, 
is his power ? Where his throne ? Where his laws ? 
His power is ended in death ! His throne is the Roman 
cross, placed between thieves ; and the Roman laws, or 
rather power, which He was to destroy, have condemned 
himself to death! 

This unexpected, this unlooked-for, startling result, 
has stupefied me ! — and not only me, but all who have 
been so led by fascination as to trust in Him. Even 
John, the beloved disciple, I hear now pacing the floor 
of the adjoining room, sobbing as if his noble heart would 
burst ! Mary, my cousin’s sweet voice, I catch, from 
time to time, trying to soothe him, although she is 
stricken, like us all, to the very earth ; for she trusted 


342 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


in Jesus, if possible, with more faith than I did ; and 
hence her dismay at his death, at the sudden termina- 
tion of all her hopes in Him, and of his restoration of 
Israel, is in proportion. We have wept to-night in each 
other’s arms, till we have no more tears to shed ; and I 
have left her to take my pen and pour out my griefs to 
you. The unhappy John I hear despairingly answer 
her : 

“ Do not try to comfort me, Mary ! There is no ground 
for hope more! He is dead — dead! All is lost! We 
who trusted in Him have only to fly, if we would save 
our wretched lives, into Galilee, and return once more 
to our nets ! The sun which shone so dazzlingly has 
proved a phantom-light, and gone out in darkness. He 
whom I could not but love, I see that I loved too well, 
since He proves not what I believed Him to be. Oh, 
how could He be so like the Son of God, and yet not be ? 
Yet I loved and adored Him as if He were the very Son 
of the Highest ! But I have seen Him die as a man — I 
have gazed on his lifeless body ! I have beheld the deep 
wound made into his very heart by the Roman spear ! I 
cast myself upon Him, when He was taken down from 
the cross, and implored Him, by his love for me, to give 
some sign that He was not holden by death ! I placed 
my trembling hands over his heart. It was still, still — 
motionless as stone, like any other dead man’s ! The flesh 
of his corpse was cold and clammy ! He was dead - — 
dead! With Him die all our hopes — the hopes of 
Israel !” 

“ He may live again,” said Mary, softly and hesita- 
tingly, as if she herself had no such hope. “ He raised 
Lazarus, thou dost remember !” 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


343 


“ Yes, for Jesus was living to do it !” answered John, 
stopping in his walk ; “ but how can the dead raise the 
dead ? No, He will never move, speak, nor breathe 
again.” 

Thus, dear father, are we left to mourn with shame 
at our delusion, and with utterly wrecked hopes. I can- 
didly acknowledge that I liavo been too hasty to confess 
Jesus as Messias of Grod ; but, oh, what could I do but 
believe in one who seemed so like an angel from hea- 
ven — a celestial Prince ! There is a dreadful and deep 
mystery in it all. To the last we believed He would 
free himself, and escape death ! Alas, for our sins Grod 
has suffered this great disappointment to come upon 
us all. 

I try to seek some consolation in recalling all that He 
was, good and holy ; but this retrospect only darkens 
the cloud of the present ; for I irresistibly argue : How 
could He, who was so good, prove so great a deceiver? 
I live and breathe, while He, who taughf me that He 
had life in himself, and who I believed could raise me 
from the dead, if I died, He is himself now dead and 
laid in the tomb; and yet I live ! He, over whom we 
fondly believed Death could have no power, since the 
doors of sepulchres opened at his voice, and let forth 
their re-living tenants, has been conquered by Death, 
and proved himself only the mortal son of Joseph and of 
the widowed Mary. She is inconsolable ! Her distress 
is heart-rending to witness. Not only has she lost her 
only son, about whom all her maternal sympathies were 
entwined, as the vine encircles the lofty palm, but she 
seems humiliated in the very ashes of shame, that He 
has died, leaving thousands who trusted to his word 


344 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAYID : 


fugitives for his name’s sake, and disappointed in all 
they expected from Him. Even now I hear her heavy 
sighs, from the couch where she lies broken-hearted in 
my aunt’s chamber, to which John led her after the exe- 
cution of Jesus, at his request. She asks to he left alone, 
and I forget my own sorrows when I think upon hers, 
which are greater than she can hear ; for, all at once her 
son has been hurled from the position in which He drew 
all eyes up after Him, and has died an ignominious 
death, leaving behind Him the stigma of an impostor’s 
fame. This pierces her heart more keenly than that she 
has been made childless. “ Oh,” I heard her say to 
Rabbi Amos, when she came into the house, “ oh, could 
He have deceived me thus — He whom I believed to be 
the soul of truth ? Alas ! my son — my son — better hadst 
thou remained in thy humble shop, leading a lowly and 
useful life, than, for the temporary popularity of a Pro- 
phet’s name, have held out hopes and promises to thy 
followers, thaf thou couldst never realize, and meet with 
such a death ! This has made my heart bleed, indeed ! 
My gray hairs will go down to the grave with shame, 
that I am the mother of Him who has misled Israel ! 
Yet I hoped great things of Him, more than of all the 
sons of men !” 

But I will not dwell on this universal sorrow — sorrow 
mingled with mortification — for the pride of all has been 
humbled to the dust. I will give you a description, dear 
father, of what occurred after the arrest ; for I wish you 
to be acquainted with every particular respecting Him, 
that you may see how perfectly He sustained the lofty 
character which drew all men after Him, to the last — • 
standing before his judges like a man sublime in the 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


345 


consciousness of innocence, and commanding even the 
involuntary respect and admiration of his foes. Oh, how 
could He have been a deceiver ? Yet He is dead, and 
in that He is dead , has He not failed in all the glorious 
things which He promised concerning himself. “ His 
death,” says his disciple Peter, who was here to-night, 
to ask John what should now he done by them, “ his 
death buries forever all our hopes.” 

But I will not further delay the account of his trial 
and condemnation, for you will be earnest to know how 
such a man could be condemned to a malefactor’s death ! 
In my last letter I spoke of his arrest, through the trai- 
torous part enacted by Judas. Led by his captors, bound 
by the wrists with a cord, He was taken from the dark 
groves of Olivet, wherein He had been found at prayer, 
and conducted with great noise into the city by Caesar’s 
gate. It is near this archway that Rabbi Amos lives. 
It was the third hour of the night, and I had just gone 
to my room, which overlooked the street of the kings, 
when I was startled by the suddenly-heard outcries of 
fierce men breaking the night’s stillness. Then I heard 
the quick challenges of Roman sentinels, the galloping 
of several horsemen, and a confused tumult, the cries in 
the meanwhile increasing. But I will copy for you my 
cousin Mary’s account of it to Martha, of Bethany, just 
written by her, instead of adding any more to my own. 

“ I went out upon the basilica, which overlooked the 
street,” says Mary in her letter, “ and beheld a multi- 
tude advancing with torches flashing ; and soon they 
came opposite the house, at least two hundred men in 
number, half clad and savage looking, with flashing eyes 
and scowling looks. Here and there among them was 
15 * 


346 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


a Levite, urging them on, and I also beheld Abner, the 
priest, firing their passions by loud oratory and eager 
gesticulations. Behind rode five Roman horsemen, with 
levelled spears, guarding a young man, who walked in 
front of their horses’ heads. It was Jesus! His locks 
were dishevelled, his beard torn, his face marred, and 
his garments rent. He was pale and suffering, yet 
walked with a firm step. I burst into tears, and so did 
Adina, who had come out to see what was passing. He 
looked up and said, touchingly, 4 Mourn not for me.’ 

“ He would have said more, but the priest smote Him 
rudely upon the mouth ; and the crowd, following his 
example, would have done Him further insult, but for 
the Roman soldiers, who turned their spears every way 
to guard Him from violence ; for they had rescued Him 
from the terrible rage of the Jews by their centurion’s 
orders, and were commanded to bring Him safely before 
Pilate. So, thus guarded and escorted by the men who 
thirsted for his blood, He was led onward to the Preto- 
rium, where the Roman Procurator resided. Gradually 
the whole multitude, horsemen, Jews, priests, torch- 
bearers, and unresisting captive, disappeared in the dis- 
tance, when silence, a dread and unearthly silence, suc- 
ceeded. I turned and looked in Adina’s face. She was 
leaning, colorless as marble, against one of the columns 
of the basilica. 

44 4 What can all this mean ?’ she said, with emotion. 
4 Can it be possible He has suffered himself to be taken — 
He who could destroy or make alive with a word ? What 
means this dreadful scene we have just witnessed ?’ 

44 1 could not answer. It was inexplicable, incompre- 
hensible to me. All I knew was what my eyes just 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


347 


beheld, that Jesus, our Prophet, our King, our Messias, 
on whom all our hopes and the joy of Israel rested, was 
dragged a prisoner through the streets, helpless and with- 
out a helper. I trembled with, I knew not what, un- 
known forebodings. Suddenly Adina cried : 

“ 6 He cannot be harmed ! He cannot die ! He is a 
mighty Prophet, and has power that will strike his ene- 
mies dead ! Let us not fear. He has yielded himself, 
only the more terribly to defeat and destroy his foes. 
We will not fear what Pilate or the priests will do! 
They cannot harm the anointed Shiloh of the Lord ! ’ 

“ While we were yet talking, dearest Martha, a dark 
figure passed stealthily along beneath the basilica, and 
seemed to court the shadows of the house. At this mo- 
ment my father, Rabbi Amos, opened the outer gate, 
with a torch in his hand, to follow, at our request, the 
crowd of people, and see what should befall Jesus. The 
light glared full upon the tall, spare form of Peter, the 
Galilee fisherman. His dark, stem features wore an 
expression of earnest anxiety. 

“ 4 Is it thou, Peter ?’ exclaimed my father. 1 What is 
all this ? Who has ordered the arrest of Jesus ? What 
has He done V 

u 1 That hateful and envious man, Caiaphas, seeks to 
destroy Him, and has bribed, with large lures of gold, 
the baser Jews to do this thing. Come with me, Rabbi, 
and let us die with Him ! ’ and the Galilean pressed 
eagerly forward at a pace with which my father could 
not keep up. 

u And this was an hour ago, and yet no news has 
come from the Pretorium ; but, from time to time a 
dreadful shout from the hill, on which the palace of 


348 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


Caiaphas stands, breaks upon my ears ; and the gla,re of 
unseen torches illumines the atmosphere high above the 
towers of the palace. It is a fearful night of agony and 
suspense ! Adina, in her painful uncertainty, but for 
my entreaties, would go forth alone towards the Preto- 
rium, to hear and know all. I can keep myself calm 
only by writing to you. Adina has also commenced a 
letter to her father, recording these sad things, but she 
drops her pen to start to the balcony at every sound. 
When will this fearful night end ? What will the mor- 
row reveal ? Adina is confident nothing can befall the 
holy Prophet, for He who could raise your brother La- 
zarus from the dead cannot fear death. Besides, has 
He not promised that He has come from Gfod, to be 
king of Israel? If He enter the Pretorium a bound 
captive to-night, it will be to sit upon the Roman throne 
within it to-morrow, with Pilate in chains at his feet ! 
I write this, to send to you by Elec at dawn, that you 
and Lazarus may hasten to come into the city to us. 

“ It is an hour since I wrote the last line. The inter- 
val has been one of agony. Rumors have reached us 
that the priests insist r on Pilate’s passing sentence of 
death on the Prophet. The cries 1 Crucify him ! crucify 
him!’ have distinctly reached our ears. John is now 
here. About half an hour after Jesus passed he reached 
our house nearly destitute of apparel, his clothing hav- 
ing been torn off from him by the Jews, in their efforts 
to make him prisoner also. He is calm and confiding, 
saying that his beloved Master can never be injured by 
them ; and that He will, ere many hours, deliver him- 
self from his foes, and proclaim himself king of Israel, 
with power such as man never had before ! May the 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


349 


God of Jacob defend Him ! John has just gone up to 
the Temple to get news, in disguise of a priest, wearing 
my father’s robes. I tremble lest he be discovered, and 
taken ; for the Jews are as bitter against the followers 
as against their Master. 

“ I have just seen a messenger, passing in great 
haste along the street ; and his horse falling, cast him 
almost upon our threshold. It was the page of iEmilius, 
the noble Roman knight, who is betrothed to my cou- 
sin Adina. She hastened to his aid. He was but stun- 
ned, and soon was able to say, that he bore a message 
from Lucia Metella, the fair and youthful bride of 
Pilate, urging him to have nothing to do with the Pro- 
phet, but give Him his liberty ; for she had just awak- 
ed from an impressive dream in which she saw Him 
sitting on the Throne of the Universe, crowned with 
the stars of heaven, the earth a footstool beneath his 
feet, and all nations assembled, and doing Him homage, 
while the gods and goddesses of high Olympus cast their 
glittering crowns and sceptres at his feet, hailing Him 
God! 

“ Such was the account given by the page to Adina ; 
when, remounting his horse, he continued rapidly on his 
way towards the Pretorium. This report of the page 
has filled our hearts with joy and hope inexpressible. 
Confident th5t Jesus is the Son of God, we will not fear 
what man can do unto Him. 

“ It is now three hours past midnight, and the dawn 
is chilly and cold, so that I cannot longer hold my pen. 
I shall send this as soon as the city gates are opened. 
Come at once to our comfort ; for this is no time for the 
friends of Jesus to be out of Jerusalem. 


350 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID. 


“ My father has returned. It is day. He says noth- 
ing can save Jesus hut his own divine power. The 
Jews are in number many thousands, and cry for his 
blood. Pilate has but a cohort of soldiers, and fears to 
use force, lest the exasperated people break into open 
revolt, and take the city from his hands, which they 
can with ease do if they will unite. 1 He trembles,’ said 
my father, ‘ between fear to condemn the innocent, and 
dread of the vengeance of the Jews, if he let Him go. 
Nothing can save the Prophet but his own mighty mira- 
cle-working power. He who has saved others, will sure- 
ly save himself.’ 

“ While my father was speaking, a man rushed 
into our presence ! He was low in stature, broad-chested, 
with a stiff, reddish beard, narrow eyes, and sharp, un- 
pleasant visage. His attire was ragged and mean, as 
was his whole aspect. He grasped in his right hand a 
small bag, which rung with coin, as his shaking hand 
held it. He trembled all over, and seizing my father by 
the arm with the quick, nervous grasp of a lunatic, cried 
hoarsely : 

“ 1 Will He let them ! will He ! will He ?’ 

“ i Will He what, Iscariot ? Of whom do you speak ? 
Art thou crazed ? Thou shouldst well be, after thy deed 
to-night.’ 

“ ‘ Will He let them kill Him ? Will he die ? will 
He die ? Think you He will escape ? He can if He 
will ! Cords, to Him, are ropes of sand 1’ 

“ 1 No, no — He is bound hand and foot,’ answered my 
father, sadly. 1 He makes no defence ! I fear He will 
let them do as they will with Him. He makes no effort 
to save his life.’ 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


351 


“ At this, Judas, for it was that wicked man, heat his 
knitted forehead, in a frenzied manner, with the hag of 
silver, and, with a look of horrible despair, rushed forth, 
crying as he went : 

“ ‘ I will save Him ! The priests shall have their 
money again. He shall not die ! If I had believed He 
would not do some miracle to escape them, I never would 
have sold Him. I hoped to get their money, and trusted, 
if they bound Him, for Him to escape by his own power. 
I did not dream that He would not exert it to save him- 
self. I will save thee, innocent man of God, for I, not 
thou, alone am guilty ! Oh, if I had suspected this — 
but He shall not die !’ 

“ With these ravings he disappeared towards the 
Pretorium, leaving us all amazed at what we had 
heard. 

“ 1 Yes,’ said my father, 1 1 see it now. Judas hoped 
to secure the money and cheat the chief priests, trusting 
to the Prophet’s divine power to get away out of their 
hands. See the force of conscience ! He is now beside 
himself with horror and remorse ; for he well knows that 
He whom he has betrayed is a man of God, without sin 
or guile !’ 

“ The sun is up. The fate of Jesus is sealed ! The 
Procurator has signed the sentence of death, and He is to 
be crucified to-day. But, with Judas, I believe that He 
cannot die, and that He will signalize the hour by some 
wonderful miracle of personal deliverance. Thus, trem- 
blingly, we hope and wait.” 

Here terminates, my dear father, what my cousin has 
written to Martha and Lazarus, and as it is very 
minute, please to receive it as if written by myself; 


352 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


for, during the night I was too greatly unnerved to 
write with the composure she has done. But now, that 
all is over — now, that Jesus lies dead in the tomb and 
forever at rest — I have been able sorrowfully to resume 
my pen. 

In my next I will give you an account of his trial, as 
it was related to me by my uncle Amos and by John, 
one of whom was present to the last. This evening I 
am going to see the sepulchre where they have laid 
him ; for, though He has in his death so sorely crushed 
all our hopes in Him and proved that He was -not what 
we believed Him to be, yet my heart and affections 
hover about his memory, and irresistibly draw my foot- 
steps towards his last resting-place. Though we are 
deceived, I cannot reprove his memory. Oh, no ! I 
cannot — but I dare not trust myself to say all that I 
feel. I only wish I could forget Him for evermore, as 
I regret that I have ever tried to convince you that He 
was the Shiloh of the Prophets. Yet never man spake 
like this man, my dear father ! and if Shiloh in truth 
come, can He do greater works than He has done ? In 
all things He was the Son of Hod, but in his death ! 
This event dashes all our hopes and our faith in Him as 
the Christ! 

Your sorrowing but loving daughter, 


Adina. 


OR, THREE TEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


353 


LETTER XXXI. 

Dearest Father : 

I have only terminated my last letter to take up my 
pen for the beginning of another ; for I find relief only 
in writing to you, from the deep affliction which has 
struck me to the earth. If anything can add to my morti- 
fication at the death of the Nazarene, Jesus, it is that I 
shall have endeavored so earnestly to make you believe in * 
Him also. Forgive me, my dear father ; your wisdom, 
your knowledge of the Prophets, your judgment, were 
far above my own. But who could have believed that 
He was less than He claimed to be — the very Son and 
Messias of Grod. Oh ! I shall never have confidence in 
a human being again ; and the more lovely, the more 
holy, the more heavenly the character of any one, the 
wiser and purer their teachings, the more distrustful 
shall I be of them. In the grave with Jesus is buried, 
henceforth and forever, all trust in human virtue — even 
when accompanied by amazing miracles. I perceive that 
a man may teach divine truths, nay, wear upon his linea- 
ments the very impress of an angel, may heal the sick 
by a touch, walk the sea, raise the dead, and cast out 
devils, and yet prove in the end a deceiver. Alas for 
human truth ! Alas for poor Israel ! which has thus 
been blinded 1 They have beheld their idolized Shiloh 


354 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID: 


nailed to a Gentile cross, without power in himself to 
prevent this ignominy. 

But I will turn from these painful thoughts, and, as I 
promised in my last, will give you an account of 
what passed at his trial, as you will he desirous of 
knowing on what accusation his condemnation was 
founded. 

It is now the morning following his crucifixion, and 
I am calmer than I was yesterday, and will he able to 
write with more coherency. Twenty-four hours have 
passed since He was nailed to the cross. His followers 
have been since his arrest hunted like wild beasts of 
the wilderness. Annas has hired and filled with wine 
fierce Roman soldiers, and sent them everywhere to 
seize the fugitive Nazarenes. John was especially 
sought out, and the emissaries of Annas came at mid- 
night, last night, to the house to take him ; hut we 
assisted him in making his escape, by means of the 
subterranean passage that leads from the dwelling of 
Rabbi Amos to the catacombs beneath the Temple. 
Mary of Nazareth, the mother of Jesus, accompanied 
him, and they got safely out of the city, and are now 
at Bethany with Martha — whence they will go to John’s 
new home, near Genesaret. Even Lazarus, whom 
Jesus raised, has been made prisoner, but was released 
by the influence of iEmilius, the Roman knight, 
who has conducted him hither, where he now remains 
in safety ; and iEmilius has also placed a guard 
about our house, for fear of further Jewish violence. 
I, therefore, can write to you undisturbed. iEmilius 
is the only one who has any confidence left, since 
Jesus died, in his promises. He asserts that Jesus 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


355 


plainly foretold his death, and also, that if He died, 
He would rise again ! Peter, also, recollects Jesus’ 
saying this word ; but uncle Amos has no confidence, 
and says : 

“ It is easy for any man to foretell that he will die, and 
quite as easy for him to add that he will rise again ! But 
let us see Jesus rise again, and we "mill believe in Him 
indeed !” 

Hut iEmilius, though only recently a convert from 
the Paganism of Rome, is firm in his faith, that He will 
rise again to life ; and, instead of giving up all, as we 
do, he says that he should not be amazed to be sudden- 
ly told by the soldiers, whom he left to guard his tomb, 
that He had burst forth alive from the dead! The 
confidence of iEmilius has almost inspired me with 
hope again ! But, dear father, I saw his cleaved side, 
the torrent of blood and water flow forth from the crim- 
son wound, and saw his lifeless head hang down upon 
his breast. If He had not been pierced through, I might 
have hoped that He could yet revive ! But that He 
was pierced removes all hope that He can be restored. 
He did not swoon, and thus appear like one dead, or 
we might trust to his restoration ; but He was slain, 
and I saw Him lie a mangled corpse at the foot of 
the cross, bleeding from five wounds, one of which 
was through and through his heart. I should rejoice 
to have the faith of dear iEmilius ; but I answer him 
that I have hitherto believed too well, and that when 
Jesus expired, all faith in my bosom expired with Him 

But I have forgotten that I am to narrate to you, 
dear father, the particulars of his accusation, tiial, and 
condemnation. As I was not present in the Pretorium, 


356 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


I am indebted, for the further details which I shall give, 
in part to John and in part to Rabbi Amos, who were 
both there a portion of the night ; Peter, and other dis- 
ciples, as well as iEmilius, have also given me additional 
facts. These I will give, at the risk of repetition, as 
they are fuller than my former account, for some of 
them heard and s%pv what John did not. 

“ As soon as the mob of Jews, who had Jesus under 
arrest, and which I saw pass the house, reached the 
abode of Rabbi Annas, he asked them whom they 
had in custody ? and when they answered that it 
was the * great Nazarene Prophet,’ he said, with great 

j°y : 

“ 4 Bring him into the lower court, that I may see 
him. By the rod of Aaron ! I would have him do some 
notable miracle for me.’ 

44 And thus speaking, the white-headed old man has- 
tened, as I have said, down to the court, which, on 
reaching, he found thronged with the infuriated multi- 
tude, mingled with the Roman soldiers. It was with 
difficulty he made a passage to where Jesus stood, both 
imprisoned and defended by a glittering lattice of Roman 
spears. After regarding Him attentively, he said, with 
curiosity, yet with sarcasm : 

44 4 Art thou* then, the King of the Jews ? Hast thou 
come to reign on the throne of David ? Show me a sign 
from Heaven, and I will acknowledge thee, 0 Nazarene !’ 

44 But Jesus stood calm and dignified, making no an- 
swer. Annas then angrily plucked Him by the beard, 
and a messenger at the same moment arrived, to say to 
him that Caiaphas, the High Priest, who had married the 
beautiful and haughty Miriam, the daughter of Annas, 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


357 


demanded to have Jesus brought before him. Upon this 
he said, in a loud voice : 

“ 1 Lead him to the palace ! Caiaphas, my son-in- 
law, would see the man who would destroy the Temple, 
and rebuild it in three days.’ 

“ There now arose a dreadful shout from the priests 
and people, who, rushing upon Jesus, cried ‘ Crucify 
Him !’ and attempted to grasp his person, as they guard- 
ed Him along the streets ; but in protecting Him, as 
they had been commanded to do, the Romans wounded 
several of the Jews. Hereupon there Was a great cry 
of sedition, and shouts of — 

“ ‘ Down with the Roman eagles ! Down with the 
barbarians ! Death to the G-entiles !’ 

“ These cries were followed up by a fearful rush of 
the mass of men upon the handful of guards. They 
were forced back, their spears broken like straws, or 
turned aside, and Jesus successfully wrested from their 
power. But in the height of the battle, iEmilius, who 
had heard the tumult from the castle, appeared with a 
portion of the legion, of which he was Prefect, and in- 
stantly charging the people, who fled before the breasts 
of his horses, rescued the Prophet, but not without the 
sacrifice of the life of one of the foremost of the mob. 

“ ‘ Rabbi,’ said iEmiiius to the Prophet, with com- 
passionate respect, 6 I know thou hast power from God 
to disperse, as chaff, this rabble ‘of fiends! Speak, and 
let them perish at thy divine command !’ 

“ ‘Nay, my son ! I am come into the world for this 
hour,’ answered Jesus. ‘ This, also, is a part of my 
mission from my Father. It becomes me to endure all 
things, even death.’ 


358 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAYID • 


44 4 You cannot die, my Lord !’ said iEmilius, warmly. 

4 Did I not see thee raise Lazarus from the tomb ?’ 

44 To die I came into this world ; but not for myself. 
I lay down my life and I can take it again. These men 
could have no power over me, except my Father did 
grant it to them : and what my Father willeth I will 
also. Seek not, my son, to deliver me. This day was 
seen by Esaias, who wrote of me. I must fulfill the 
Prophets ! There remains only that I be delivered to 
judgment and to death !’ 

44 These words passed between them beneath the por- 
tico, as iEmilius was loosing the sharp cords from the 
bleeding wrists of the youthful Prophet. 

44 4 To Caiaphas ! to Caiaphas !’ now cried the multitude, 
who had been for a moment awed by the bold charge of 
the Roman horse, but now grew bolder, as some men 
removed the dead and wounded out of sight. 4 To the 
palace with the blasphemer ! for he who calls himself 
God is, by our law, to be punished with death. To the 
High Priest with him !’ 

44 4 1 can rescue you, Great Prophet !’ said iEmilius, 
resolutely. 4 Give me the word, and you are mounted 
on my horse, and safe in the castle of David.’ 

44 4 The High Priest has sent for me. He must be 
obeyed,’ answered Jesus ; and ^Emilius, surprised at his 
refusal to escape, reluctantly escorted Him to the palace. 
The windows already glared with torches, and the superb 
Hall of Aaron, within the palace, was alight with a hun- 
dred flambeaux. The Romans entered, guarding their 
prisoner, and followed by a tumultuous throng, which 
each moment fearfully increased in numbers. Caiaphas 
was already upon his throne, although it was long past 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


359 


the hour of midnight — an unwonted time for him to sit 
in the council chamber ; hut his desire to have Jesus 
brought before him, of whose arrest in Olivet he had been 
an hour before apprised by one of his emissaries, led him 
to hold an extraordinary court. A score of the elders 
and chief priests were standing about him, their dark, 
eager faces earnestly watching the entrance, to get a 
look at the approaching Prophet. Among the most eager 
of all these was Caiaphas himself, who regarded the elo- 
quent Nazarene as his rival in the eyes of the whole 
people, and had, therefore, long thirsted for his destruc- 
tion. As Jesus serenely entered, led by the sorrowful 
iEmilius, Caiaphas bent his tall, gaunt form forward, 
thrust his neck and huge head in advance, and with 
keen eyes, and sharp, scrutinizing glances, surveyed Him 
whom he jealously looked upon as his foe ! 

“ The multitude pressing in, soon filled all the vast 
hall, and even crowded upon the rostrum, upon which 
were seated the scribes, elders, and many of the princi- 
pal priests. The Roman soldiers, with clanging steel, 
marched in, and arrayed themselves on either side of 
the High Priest’s throne, leaving Jesus standing alone 
before its footstool. The scene must have been stri- 
king, and full of painful interest to the most unconcerned 
present. The arched ceiling of the chamber, supported 
by seventy columns of porphyry, represented the deep 
blue heavens, studded with glittering constellations in 
starry gold. The walls were of jasper, superbly colored, 
with precious stones inlaid, representing every variety 
of fruit and flower, in all their native tints and varied 
forms of grace and beauty. The hundred flambeaux 
reflected a thousand times from the polished surfaces of 


360 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


the columns, shed a magnificent light over all. The 
gorgeous robes of the High Priest, his dazzling tiara 
and priceless breast-plate, refracted the radiant beams 
with indescribable prismatic splendor ! The steel spear- 
heads and polished cuirasses of the Roman guard, catch- 
ing the light upon points and bosses, gleamed like flames 
of fire ; while the golden crest of the helmet of iEmilius 
shone amid all this glory like a lesser sun. 

“ Contrasting with this brilliancy, surged, and heaved, 
and moved below the dark masses of the people, in their 
gray and brown caps and cloaks, for the night was cold, 
and they wore their winter garments ; and all this wild 
ocean of human forms gleamed with ten thousand eyes, 
flashing like the phosphorescent stars that glitter on the 
surface of the up-heaving sea, when the shadow of the 
storm-cloud hangs above it, and the winds are about to 
be unbound, to lash it into fury. So seemed this terri- 
ble sea of human heads — Jesus the centre of their looks 
and of their hate ! the Pharos at whose feet these foam- 
ing billows of passion broke with terrific power. He 
alone, of all that countless host, He alone was calm — 
serene — fearless ! Caiaphas gazed upon Him, as He 
stood before his footstool, betraying in his glance admi- 
ration mingled with resentment. The scribes and priests 
also curiously gazed, and talked together with looks of 
unusual interest. Caiaphas now waved his hand, with 
a gesture for silence, and addressed Jesus : 

“ ‘ So, then,’ he spoke, with haughty irony, 1 thou art 
Jesus, the far-famed Galilean Prophet ! Men say thou 
canst raise the dead! We would fain behold a miracle. 
Tliinkest thou if we put thee to death presently, thou 
canst raise thyself?’ 

“ 4 Jesus,’ saith Rabbi Amos, who just then entered, 


\ 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 361 

and stood near Him, and saw all, ‘ Jesus remained un- 
moved. His bearing' was marked by a certain divine 
dignity, while an expression of holy resignation sat upon 
his features. He looked like Peace, incarnate in the 
form of man ! A soft influence seemed to flow from his 
presence, producing a universal but momentary emotion 
of sympathy. Caiaphas perceived it, and cried, in his 
harsh, stern voice : 

“ i You have brought this man before me, men of Je- 
rusalem ; of what do you accuse him ? Let those who 
have accusations come forward and make them. He is 
a Jew, and shall have justice by our laws.’ 

“ 4 Ye Jews have no power to try a man for his life, 
most noble Caiaphas,’ said iEmilius. ‘ The lives of all 
your nation are in the hand of Caesar, and of his tribu- 
nals. You can put no man to death.’ 

“ This demand of an accusation of Jesus by the people, 
here called for by Caiaphas, was afterwards made with 
more aathority by Pilate ; and this declaration of iEmi- 
lius, which was spoken to save Jesus, was subsequently 
repeated by the Jews, before the Roman Governor, in 
order to secure his crucifixion ! 

“ iEmilius had spoken in hopes that if Jesus could be 
brought before Pilate, the Procurator, He might be by 
him released, for he knew Pilate had no envy or feeling 
against the Prophet. 

“ 4 Thou sayest well, noble Roman,’ answered Caia- 
phas ; 4 but for crimes of blasphemy against the Temple, 
we are permitted by Csesar to judge our people by the 
laws of Moses. And this man, if rumor comes nigh the 
truth, has been guilty of blasphemy. But we will hear 
the witnesses.’ 


16 


362 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAYID: 


“ Hereupon several of the chief priests and scribes, 
who had been going in and out among the crowd, brought 
forward certain men, whose very aspect showed them to 
be of the baser sort. One of these men testified that he 
had heard Jesus say that He would destroy the Temple, 
and could again in three days rebuild it more magnifi- 
cently than it was in the days of Solomon the Mighty. 

“Upon this testimony all the priests shouted 4 Blas- 
phemer!’ and called for Jesus to be stoned to death; 
and the passionate Abijah, the most virulent of the 
scribes, cast his iron ink-horn violently at Him, but one 
of the soldiers turned it aside with his lance ; at which 
there was a deep murmur against the Romans, which 
Caiaphas with difficulty silenced. 

“ A second witness was now produced by Abijah, who 
testified that Jesus had taught, in Samaria, that men 
would soon no longer worship in the Temple, but that 
the whole earth would be a temple for Jews and Gen- 
tiles. 

“ This was no sooner heard than some of the men 
gnashed at Jesus with their teeth, and, but for the ges- 
tures and loud voice of the High Priest, they would 
have made an attempt to get Him into their power. The 
noise of their rage, so great was the madness of the 
people, is described as having been like the roaring of 
wild beasts of the wilderness., rushing to the banquet of 
a fresh battle-field. 

“A third witness, a man who had been notorious for 
his crimes, now came up. He carried on his wrist a 
cock, with steel gaffs upon the spurs, as if he had just 
been brought up from the cock-pit to bear testimony ; 
for such were the sort of fellows suborned by the priests 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


363 


He testified that Jesus said, that the day would soon 
come when not one stone should he left upon another of 
the Temple ; that He had called it ‘ a den of thieves,’ 
the priests 4 blind guides ’ and ‘ deceivers the scribes 
‘ foxes,’ and the Pharisees 1 hypocrites l’ 

“ But the fourth and fifth witnesses contradicted each 
other ; neither did the testimony of two others agree ; 
for one asserted that he heard Him call himself ‘ the Son 
of God,’ hut was contradicted by the other, who asserted 
that it was only 1 the Son of Man ;’ and, in another in- 
stance, one said he heard Him say that He and God 
were One, while the other testified that what He said 
was, that God was' greater than He. Neither did other 
witnesses agree together. 

“ Such opposite testimony perplexed and irritated 
Caiaphas, and confounded the chief priests and scribes. 
The High Priest now began to perceive that Jesus would 
have to be released, for want of testimony against Him 
All the while the prisoner had remained standing before 
him, bound, with his hands tied across his body, his 
countenance mild but heroic, exhibiting ‘ the firmness 
and composure of innocence,’ as iEmilius described his 
whole bearing to be. 

“ 1 What ! Galilean and blasphemer of God and his 
Temple ! answerest thou nothing ?’ cried the High 
Priest ; i hearest thou not what these witness against 
thee ?’ 

“ But Jesus remained silent. Caiaphas was about to 
break the silence by some fierce words, when a voice 
was overheard the other side of the columns, on the left 
of the throne, where was a fireplace, in which was 
burning a large fire, about which stood many persons. 


364 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


.Rabbi Amos at once recognized, in the violent speaker, 
Peter, who had come in with him and John ; the latter 
of whom, in the disguise of a priest, stood not far from 
Jesus, gazing tenderly upon Him, and listening with the 
most painful interest to all that they testified against 
Him ; but Peter stood farther off, by the fire, yet not 
less eagerly attending to all that passed. 

“ 1 Thou art one of the Nazarene’s followers !’ cried 
the voice of a maid, who brought wood to feed the fire. 

1 Thou needest not to deny it. I am of Galilee, and 
knew thee when thou wert a fisherman. Seize him, for 
he is one of them.’ 

<c 1 Woman, I swear by the altar and ark of God, and 
by the sacred Tables, I know not the fellow ! I never 
saw Galilee !’ 

“ 6 Thy speech betrayeth thee, now thou hast spoken,’ 
cried the woman ; ‘ thou art a Galilean, and thy name 
is Simon Bar-Jona. I know thee well ; and how, three 
years ago, you and your brother Andrew left your nets 
to follow this Nazarene !’ 

“ ‘ May the thunders of Horeb and the curse of Jeho- 
vah follow me, if what thou sayest be true, woman. 
Thou mistakest me for some other man. I swear to 
you, by the head of my father, men and brethren, that I 
never saw his face before ! I know not the man !’ ” 

“ As he spoke,” said John, “ he cast his angry looks 
towards the place where Jesus stood. He caught his 
Master’s eyes bent upon him, with a tender and reprov- 
ing gaze, so full of sorrowing compassion, mingled with 
forgiveness, that I saw Peter start as if smitten with 
lightning. He then pressed his two hands to his face, 
and uttering a cry of anguish and despair, that made 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


365 


the High Priest look, and which went to every heart, he 
rushed out by the open door, into the darkness, and dis- 
appeared. As he did so, the cock which was held tied 
upon the wrist of the third witness, crowed twice, in a 
loud tone ! I then remembered the words of Jesus to 
Peter, spoken but twelve hours before : 1 This night, 
even before the cock crow the first watch of the morn- 
ing, thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me !’ 
Upon this,” added John, “my confidence in my Master 
came back, full and strong, and I felt that He would 
not, could not be harmed ; for He foreknew all things 
that could happen to Him, and would yet escape 
death.” 

“At length, after great excitement and dissension 
among the elders, chief priests and scribes, Caiaphas 
placed Jesus before their great council, at their demand. 
Their hall adjoined his own. Here they, as well as 
Caiaphas, questioned Him closely, and said — 

“ 1 Art thou the Christ the Son of the Blessed ? I 
adjure thee, by the living God, tell us plainly !’ 

“ Jesus then elevated his princely form, and bending 
his eyes upon the face of the High Priest, with a look so 
brightly celestial that Caiaphas involuntarily dropped his 
eyelids to the ground, answered, and said : 

“ < If I tell thee, 0 Priests, ye will not believe ! If 1 
prove it to you from the prophets, and by my works, 
ye will not listen ! If I say that I am Christ, ye will 
not then acknowledge me, nor let me go free ! I have 
spoken openly to the world, in the Temple and in the 
synagogue. I have concealed nothing. Ask them which 
heard me, what I have said. Nevertheless, I say unto 
You what I have before taught, that I am the Christ, the 


366 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAYID: 


Son of the Blessed ; and hereafter ye shall behold me sit- 
ting on the right hand of the power of God, and coming 
in the clouds of heaven.’ 

“ ‘Art thou the Son of God?’ cried several of the 
priests at once, while Caiaphas held up his hands in 
horror. 

“ ‘ Ye have said that which I am,’ answered the Pro- 
phet, without changing, except to a sublimer look, the 
expression of his countenance, which,” says John, “seem- 
ed to shine, as he had seen it in the Mount, when He 
was transfigured before him. 

“ ‘ Men of Israel and Judah, ye hear his words !’ cried 
the High Priest, rending down the blue lace from his 
ephod. ‘ Hear ye his blasphemy ?’ 

“ ‘ Said I not, son of Aaron, that you would neither 
believe me nor let me go, if I told you who I am ?’ said 
Jesus, firmly. ‘ I tell you the truth, and ye call it blas- 
phemy !’ 

“ i Answerest thou the High Priest so !’ cried Abner, 
furiously, ‘ the chief officer of the Temple !’ striking Him 
with the palm of his hand across the mouth. 

“ Jesus calmly answered, ‘ If I have spoken evil, bear 
witness of the evil, and judge me by our law ; but if 
well, why smitest thou me ?’ 

“ ‘ Ye have heard the blasphemy,’ said Caiaphas, 
extending his hands towards the people. ‘ What think 
ye ? Need we any further witness than his own mouth ?’ 

“ ‘ He is guilty of death !’ cried Abner, in a hoarse 
voice, his eyes, red with being up all the night, glar- 
ing like a leopard’s ; and advancing to where Jesus 
stood, bound and bleeding, he spat in his face thrice. 

“ This was followed by a loud outcry for his death ; 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


S67 


and several vile fellows also spat upon Him, and pulled 
Him by the beard, while for some minutes it seemed to be 
the only thought of all, who were any ways near his 
person, to do Him some ignominy ; and, but for the pro- 
tection of .ZEmilius and his soldiers, they would have 
torn Him in pieces. 

“ 4 Is this Jewish justice V cried iEmilius, indignantly, 
to Caiaphas. ‘ Do you condemn and kill a man without 
witness ? Stand back, for Romans are not used to 
see men condemned without law. Back, fellows — or 
your blood will flow sooner than his for which you 
thirst !’ 

“ At this determined attitude they gave back for a 
moment, and left Jesus standing in the midst, sad but 
serene. 

“ John ran to Him, and wiped the blood and unclean- 
ness from his lips, and cheeks, and beard, and gave Him 
water, which the woman who had recognized Peter, com- 
passionately brought in a ewer. 

“ 4 Master, use thy power and escape from them!’ 
whispered John. 

a < Nay — tempt me not, beloved,’ He answered. ‘ My 
power is not for my deliverance, but for that of the world. 
For you I can do mighty works ; but for myself I do 
nothing. I came not to save my life, but to lay it down ! 
Mine hour is at hand !’ 

“ ‘ Let not a handful of Romans frighten you, men of 
Jerusalem !’ cried Abner. * There is not a legion in all 
the city. Here we are masters, if we will it ! To the 
rescue ! Let me hear the Lion of Judah roar in his might, 
and the Eagle of Rome will shriek and fly away. To 
the rescue !’ 


S68 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID 


“ ‘ Hold ! men and brethren !’ cried Caiaphas, who 
had judgment enough to see that the first blow would 
be the beginning of a revolution, that would bring 
down upon the city the Roman army quartered in Syria, 
and end in the destruction of the nation. ‘ Hold, mad- 
men !’ 

“ But his voice was drowned amid the roar of the 
human tempest. iEmilius and his men were borne away 
on the crest of the surge, and so pressed by the bodies ol 
the Jews that they could not make use of their weapons. 
In the wild confusion, Jesus was carried, by fierce hands, 
to the opposite end of the council-chamber ; while Caia- 
phas strove to appease the wrath of iEmilius, who in- 
sisted that the fate of Jesus should be left with Pilate, 
the Procurator. After brief consultation with the chief- 
* priests, elders, and scribes, Caiaphas consented ; though 
knowing that Pilate, being a pagan, would not heed a 
charge of blasphemy, he resolved with the rest, that 
nothing should be said of that before him, but that He 
should be accused to him of sedition, and of setting up 
a kingdom in opposition to the universal empire of 
Caesar. 

“ When iEmilius, aided by the authority of Caiaphas, 
at length came where Jesus had been dragged, they 
found Him standing blindfolded among a crowd of the 
basest fellows of Jerusalem, who were diverting them- 
selves by slapping his cheeks, and asking Him to tell, 
by his divine knowledge of all things, who did it ? They 
would also hold money before his blinded eyes, and ask 
Him to name its value or inscription ; and when He 
still kept silence, they struck Him, beat Him with their 
hands, and cruelly smote Him with their staves to make 
Him respond who did it. 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


369 


“ 1 We will let thee go, Nazarene,’ said one, ‘ If thou 
wilt tell how many hairs I have in my heard !’ 

“ 1 Nay, let him divine !’ cried another, ‘ what I gave 
for my Passover-lamb, in the market, and the name ol 
the Samaritan of whom I bought it !’ 

“ ‘ Out with your lambs, Kish!’ shouted a third fellow, 
thrusting himself forward, 1 let me hear him prophecy ! 
It is rare, a prophet, in these dull times. What Gali- 
lean, silent and sullen ! I will make thee speak !’ and 
he let a blow of his staff fall upon the head of Jesus, 
which would have Struck Him to the earth, but for 
the voice of Caiaphas, which had arrested, in part, its 
force. 

“ 6 Men of Israel !’ he cried aloud, ‘ that this pestilent 
Nazarene is a blasphemer, we have heard with our ears ; 
and, by our law, he ought to die, because he hath made 
himself the Son of God ! But Caesar hath taken the 
power of life and death out of our hands ! We Jews 
can put no man to death, but the Romans only. That 
he hath spoken against Caesar, and is a seditionist, can 
be proved. Let us take him before Pilate with this ac- 
cusation ; and if he be found guilty of death, as he will 
be, unless the Procurator wink at a usurper’s rising up 
in his government, which he will not dare to do, we 
shall have the Nazarene hanged on a Roman cross, ere 
the sun reaches the mark of noon on the dial of the 
Temple.’ 

“ This speech pleased the people, and having re-bound 
Jesus more securely, they cried, all with one voice : 4 To 
Pilate ! to the Pretorium !’ ” 

The multitude then poured out of the gates of the 
palace, like a foaming and chafing river, which hath over- 

16 * 


370 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


flowed its banks, and with terrible cries which we heard, 
startling the dawn, even in our house, took the direc- 
tion towards the Pretorium. Of the thousands of Jews 
from the country, who crowd Jerusalem like a bee- 
hive at this holy season, few could have reposed un- 
disturbed that night, and vast numbers of them were 
present at that scene ; the noise of the tramp of that 
multitude shook the very foundations of Mount Zion, 
while the murmur of voices was like the sound of many 
waters. 

It was with difficulty that iEfnilius could protect 
the Prophet in safety up the hill, and to the entrance 
of the Pretorium, which he entered with his prisoner, 
just as the sun gilded the loftiest pinnacles of the 
Temple, and the trumpets of the Levites sounded to 
prayers. 

In another letter, dear father, I will continue the 
account of his trial, the remembrance of which, while I 
now write of it, almost rekindles again all my love, faith, 
devotion, and confidence in Him ; for who but a man, 
God-sustained, could have borne so meekly all this pain, 
insult, ignominy, and shame ? 

Adina. 


LETTER XXXII. 

My Dear Father : 

This is the evening of the Great Day of the Feast, 
and the second day since the ignominious execution of 
Him whom we all believed to have been a Prophet sent 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


371 


from G-od — nay, more than a prophet, the Christ, the 
Son of the Blessed ! Yet He still lies dead in the tomb, 
and his splendid prophecies of his future glory, as King 
of Israel, have perished with Him. Alas ! that one so 
good, and noble, and wise, should have been a deceiver ! 
Henceforth I have no faith in goodness. I have wept 
till I can weep no more. 

I will now resume my narrative of his trial ; for I 
would, by showing you how like a true prophet He bore 
himself, even before his judges, in some degree excuse 
myself to you, for being carried away by Him, and ac- 
cepting Him for all that He professed to be — the very 
Messias of Jehovah. 

It is now the close of the High Day of the Feast. 
The slanting rays of the setting sun linger yet upon the 
gilded lances that terminate the lesser pinnacles of the 
Holy House of the Lord. The smoke of incense curls 
lazily up the sky from its unseen altar, and the deep 
voices of the choir of Levites, increased by those of the 
tens of thousands of Judah, who crowd all the courts of 
the Temple, fall upon my ears like muffled thunder. I 
never heard anything so solemn. Above the Temple 
has hung, since the crucifixion yesterday, the cloud of 
the smoke of the sacrifices, and it immovably depends 
over all the city like a pall. The sun does not pene- 
trate it, though its light falls upon the earth outside of 
the city ; but all Jerusalem remains in shadow ; and, 
shooting over the cloud, the setting sunbeams, catch- 
ing the lofty pinnacles, make the gloom beneath only 
seem the more sombre. This cloud is a fearful sight, 
and all men have been watching it, and talking of 
it, and wondering. It seems to be in the form of 


372 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


black, gigantic wings, spreading a league broad over 
Jerusalem. 

There it now hangs, visible from my window ! but 
we are in some sort used to its dreadful presence, and 
cease to fear ; but we are lost in wonder ! This morn- 
ing when a high wind arose, blowing from the great 
sea eastward, every one expected and hoped to see the 
cloud sail away before it in the direction of the desert. 
But the only effect the wind produced was to agitate 
its whole surface in tumultuous billows, while the 
mass still retained its position above the city. The 
shadow it casts is supernatural and fearful like tho 
dread obscurity which marks an eclipse of the sun. 

And this reminds me, my dear father, to mention 
what in the multiplicity of subjects that rush to my pen 
for expression, I have omitted to state to you ; and what 
is unaccountable, unless men have, in very truth, cruci- 
fied, in Jesus, the very Son of God. At the time of his 
death the sun disappeared from the mid heavens, and 
darkness, like that of night, followed over all the earth, 
so that the stars became visible ; and the hills on which 
Jerusalem stands shook as if an earthquake had moved 
them, and many houses were thrown down ; and where 
the dead are buried, outside o/ the city, the earth and 
rocks were rent ; tombs broken up, and many bodies of 
the dead were heaved to the surface, and exposed to all 
eyes ! These bodies have lain all to-day, for the Jews 
dare not touch them to re-bury them, for fear of being 
defiled. All this is fearful and unaccountable. It is 
known, too, that as Jesus expired the vail of the Temple 
was rent in twain and exposed the Holy of Holies to 
every common gaze ! What will be the end of these 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


373 r 


things is known only to the God of Abraham. Never 
was so fearful a Passover before. Men’s faces are pale, 
and all look as though some dread calamity had befallen 
the nation. Can the death of Jesus be the cause of all 
these things ? If so, He was the Son of God, and men 
have done unto Him whatsoever they listed. If He 
be the Blessed Christ, whom Caiaphas and the priests 
have had crucified, the retribution of God’s vengeance 
upon our city and nation is but just begun. But if He 
were the Christ, why did He not save himself. 

My last letter, my dear father, closed with the termi- 
nation of the examination of Jesus before Caiaphas, the 
High Priest, who, not being able to convict Him of any 
thing save alleged blasphemy, and not having the power 
in his hands to condemn Him to death on this charge, 
resolved, in order unfailingly to secure his execution, to 
charge Him before Pilate, the procurator, of sedition and 
treason against Caesar. But for the fact that the Ho- 
mans had taken the power of death from the Jewish 
nation, Jesus would have been stoned to death for blas- 
phemy, by order of Caiaphas and the great Sanhedrim ; 
but a more ignominious death, as a revolutionist and 
usurper of Csesar’s crown, was in reserve for Him, at 
the hands of the Roman law. 

Guarded by iEmilius, who was his true friend to the 
last, and followed by the envious Caiaphas, the fierce 
Abner, the captains of the Temple, Scribes, Pharisees, 
Sadducees, Herodians, and a mixed rabble of the Jews, 
artisans, peasants, robbers, beggars, and all the off- 
scourings of the nation that pour into the city at the 
Passover season, He was led to the housfi of Pilate. 

The Praetorian gates were shut by the Roman guards, 


374 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


as the tumultuous crowd advanced, for Pilate believed 
the Jews were in insurrection, and was prepared to de- 
fend his palace ; for so few are the troops with him in 
the city, that he has for some weeks held only the name 
of power, rather than the reality. But when iEmilius 
explained to the captain of the guard that the Jews de- 
sired to accuse Jesus, the Nazarene, of sedition, before 
the Procurator, he was admitted, with the chief men of 
the city, into the outer court of Antiochus ; but none 
passed beyond the statue of Caesar, lest they should de- 
file themselves ; and, at their call, Pilate came forth to 
them. When he saw the vast concourse of people with 
Caiaphas and the chief priests, and many rich Saddu- 
cees, with the leading men of Jerusalem in the advance, 
and Jesus bound, and disfigured by the insults He had 
undergone, and iEmilius and his few soldiers enclosing 
Him with their protecting spears, and heard the loud 
voices of the multitude, as of wolves baying for the 
blood of a defenceless lamb, he stood with amazement 
for a few moments, surveying the scene. 

“ What means this, iEmilius?” he demanded of the 
young Prefect. “ Who is this captive ?” 

“ It is Jesus, called the Christ, my lord ; the Prophet 
of Galilee. The Jews desire his death, accusing Him 
of blaspheming their God ; and ” 

“ But I have no concern with their religion, or the 
worship of their God. Let them judge him after their 
own way,” said Pilate, indifferently, and with an indo- 
lent air. 

“ But, most noble Roman,” said Caiaphas, advancing 
to the portico ‘on which the Procurator stood, “ by our 
law he should suffer death ; and thou knowest though 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


375 


we can condemn, as we now have done this Galilean, 
we have no power to execute sentence of death.” 

“ This is well said ; hut would you have me put one 
of your nation to death for blaspheming your God ? So 
far as that is concerned, 0 priest,” added Pilate, smiling 
contemptuously, “ we Romans blaspheme him daily — 
for we worship him not, and will have naught to do with 
your faith. Let the man go ! I see no cause of death 
in him !” 

He then spoke to iEmilius, and desired him to lead 
Jesus to the spot where he stood. Pilate then regarded 
Him with mingled pity and interest. After surveying 
Him a moment, he turned to one of his officers, and said 
aside : “ A form divine, and fit for Apollo, or any of the 
greater gods ! His hearing is like a hero ! Mehercule ! 
The chisel of Praxiteles, nor of Phidias, ne’er traced the 
outlines of limbs and neck like these. He is the very 
incarnation of human symmetry and dignity.” 

The courtiers nodded assent to these cool criticisms of 
the indolent and voluptuous Italian. Jesus, in the mean- 
while, stood motionless before his judge, his eyes down- 
cast, and full of a holy sadness, and his lips compressed 
with immovable patience. Pilate now turned to Him, 
and said : 

“ Thou art, then, that Jesus of whom men talk so 
widely. I have had curiosity to see thee ; and thanks, 
Caiaphas, to thee, for this privilege. Men say, 0 Jesus, 
that thou art wiser than ordinary men ; that thou canst 
do works of necromancy, and art skilled in the subtle 
mysteries of astrology. I would question thee upon 
these things. Wilt thou read my destiny for me in the 
stars ? If thou answerest well I will befriend thee, and 


376 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


deliver thee from thy countrymen, who seem to howl for 
thy blood.” 

“ My lord !” cried Caiaphas, furiously, “ thou must 
not let this man go ! He is a deceiver, and traitor to 
Csesar. I charge him and formally accuse him, before 
thy tribunal, of making himself king of Judea !” 

To this the whole multitude assented, in one deep 
voice of rage and fierce denunciation, that shook the 
very walls of the Pretori um. 

“ What sayest thou ?” demanded Pilate ; “ art thou 
a king? Methinks if thou wert such, these Jews have 
little need to fear thee.” And the Roman cast a careless 
glance over the mean and torn apparel, and half-naked 
limbs of the Prophet. 

Before Jesus could reply, which He seemed about to 
do, for his lips parted as if to speak, there was heard a 
sudden commotion in the lower part of the court of 
(xabbatha, (for thus the outer court of the Pretorium, 
where they were, is called by the Jews,) and a loud, 
hoarse voice was heard crying : 

“ Make way — give back ! He is innocent.” 

All eyes turned in the direction of the archway, when 
a man was seen forcing his path towards the door of the 
Judgment Hall, in front of which Pilate was standing, 
with Jesus a step or two below him. 

“ What means this madman ?” cried the Procurator. 
6 1 Some of you arrest him !” 

“ I am not mad — He is innocent ! I have betrayed 
the innocent blood !” -cried Iscariot, for it was he, leap- 
ing into the space in front of the portico. “ Caiaphas, I 
have sought thee and the chief priests everywhere !” he 
exclaimed, on seeing the High Priest. “ Take back thy 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


377 


money, and let this holy Prophet of God go free! I 
swear to you, hy the altar, He is innocent ! and if thou 
harm Him, thou wilt he accursed with the vengeance of 
Jehovah ! Take hack thy silver, for he is innocent !” 

“ What is that to us ? See thou to that,” answered 
Abner, the priest, haughtily ; for Caiaphas and the 
priests were too much surprised at this open exposure of 
the bribery of Judas, to speak ; while the eyes of the 
former, falling under the withering glance of the Roman 
Procurator, betrayed his guilt. 

“ Wilt thou not release Him if I give thee back the 
pieces ?” cried Judas, in accents of despair, taking 
Caiaphas by the mantle, and then kneeling to him implo- 
ringly. 

But Caiaphas angrily shook him off; Abner and the 
chief priests also spurned him from them, as he ap- 
proached them ! At last, in a frenzied manner, he threw 
himself at the knees of Jesus, and cried, in the most 
thrilling accents : - 

“ Oh, Master ! Master ! thou hast the power ! Release 
thyself !” 

“ No, Judas,” angered the Prophet, shaking his 
head, and gazing down compassionately upon his be- 
trayer, without one look of resentment at his having 
betrayed Him, “ mine hour is come ! I may not escape. 
For this hour I came into the world.” 

“ I believed, surely, thou wouldst not suffer thyself to 
be arrested, when they should find thee in Olivet, my 
Master, or I would never have taken their money. It is 
my avarice that hath slain thee ! Oh God ! Oh God ! 
I see now it is too late !” Thus crying in a voice of de- 
spair, he rose and rushed, with his face hid in his cl«ak 


378 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


forth from the presence of all, the crowd of men giving 
hack hastily as he advanced through their midst towards 
the outer gate. 

This extraordinary interruption produced a startling 
effect upon all present ; and a few moments elapsed be- 
fore Pilate could resume his examination of Jesus, which 
he did by entering the Judgment Hall and taking his 
seat on his throne. He then repeated his question, hut 
with more deference than before : “ Art thou a king, 
then ?” 

“ Thou sayest that which I am — a king” He answer- 
ed, with a dignity truly regal in its hearing ; for all the 
time, hound and marred as he was by the hands of his 
enemies, pale with suffering, and with standing a sleep- 
less and fearful night upon his feet, exposed to cold and 
to insults, yet He had a kingly air, and there seemed to 
float about his head a divine glory, as if a sunbeam had 
been shining down upon Him ! 

“ Thou, thyself, hearest him !” exclaimed Caiaphas, 
standing upon the threshold of the Judgment Hall of the 
Gentile governor, which he would not enter for fear of 
defilement. ^ 

“ He hath, also, sought to prevent the people from 
paying tribute to Caesar !” cried Abner, shouting through 
an open window ; for he also would not, on account 
of the holy feast, be profaned by entering a Gentile 
house. 

“ He has everywhere publicly proclaimed that he has 
been ordained of God to re-establish the kingdom ot 
Judah, and overthrow the power of Caesar in Jerusalem,” 
added the Governor of the Temple, lifting his voice so as 
to be heard above the voices of the priests and scribes, 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


379 


who, all speaking together, vehemently accused Him of 
many other things, which we all knew not to he true. 

Pilate at length obtained comparative silence, and 
then said to Jesus : 

“ Hearest thou these accusations ? Hast thou no an- 
swer to make ? What defence hast thou, Sir Prophet ? 
Answerest thou nothing ? Behold how many things 
they witness against thee !” 

Pilate spoke as if he had taken a deep interest in 
Jesus, and would give Him an opportunity of defending 
himself. 

“ He hath perverted the nation ; a most pestilent and 
dangerous fellow !” exclaimed Caiaphas. “ He is a 
blasphemer, above all men !” 

“ I have nothing to do with your religion. If he hath 
blasphemed your gods, take ye him and judge him 
according to your laws,” answered Pilate. 

“ Thou knowest, 0 noble Roman, that we have no 
power to execute to the death — therefore do we accuse 
him before thee.” 

“ I am no Jew, priest ! What care I for your domes- 
tic and religious quarrels. He hath done nothing that I 
can learn, for which the laws of Imperial Rome, which 
now prevail here, can adjudge him to death. I, there- 
fore, command his release, as having done nothing wor- 
thy of capital punishment. iEmilius, unbind thy pris- 
oner, and let him go. I find no fault in him, that he 
should be longer held in bonds.” 

Upon this the Jews sent up a cry of unmingled fero- 
city and vindictiveness. Caiaphas, forgetting his fear 
of defilement, advanced several steps into the Judgment 
Hall, and shaking his open hands at Pilate, cried : 


380 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OP DAVID: 


“ If tliou lettest this man go thou art not Caesar’s 
friend. Thou art in league with him. He that sets 
himself up as a king, in all the wide hounds of Caesar’s 
dominions, wars against Caesar, as well at Jerusalem as 
at Rome. If thou release this man, I and my nation 
will accuse thee to thy master, Tiberius, of favoring this 
Galilean’s sedition. He hath stirred up all Jewry, from 
Galilee to this place, and yet thou findest no fault with 
him !” 

When Pilate heard the name of Galilee, he asked if 
the prisoner were a Galilean. Upon being answered in 
the affirmative by the excited priest, he said to iEmi- 
lius : 

“ Hold — loose not his bonds just now ! Herod, the 
Tetrarch of Galilee, last night came up to the Passover 
feast of the Hebrew God, and is now at the old Macca- 
bean palace, with his retinue. Conduct your prisoner to 
him, and let Herod judge his own subjects. Present him 
with this signet, in token of amity. Tell him I will not 
interfere with his privileges, and that I desire he would 
take and judge the man as if he were in his own 
tetrarchate.” 

The chief priests and scribes now shouted with appro- 
bation at this decision, for they began to fear that Pilate 
would release Him ; and they knew that the vacillating 
and reckless Herod would do whatsoever would gain 
popular applause. 

“ If he sends us to Herod with him,” said the priest 
Abner, “ his doom is sealed — his blood is ours !” The 
multitude without hailed the reappearance of iEmilius, 
and his unresisting captive, from the Judgment Hall, 
and followed them across the marble pavement of Gab- 
batha into the street, crying : 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


381 


“ To Herod ! to the Tetrarch of G-alilee with him !” 

But Caiaphas, frowning and dissatisfied, remained 
behind ; and Pilate, glad to get rid of the delicate affair 
of condemning an innocent man, in order to gratify the 
envy of the Jews, by sending him to his enemy, Herod, 
smilingly came out, and spoke to the gloomy High 
Priest : 

“ Thou wert something sharp upon me just now, my 
lord Caiaphas. Thou knowest I can condemn men only 
for crimes committed against the laws of the Empire. 
This Jesus has done nothing worthy of death, were he 
called before a tribunal in the capital of the world itself, 
Caesar his judge.” 

u Noble Governor,” answered Caiaphas, stopping in 
his angry strides up and down the porphyry floor of the 
outer portico, “ thou forgettest that I brought him not 
before thee on this charge of blasphemy alone — but for 
sedition ! By the altar of God ! this is a crime known 
to thy laws, I wot !” 

“ True. You charge a young, defenceless, quiet, 
powerless man, destitute of money, men, or arms, an 
obscure fisherman or carpenter of Galilee, of setting up 
a throne and kingdom against that of Tiberius Caesar, 
the ruler of the earth ! The idea is absurd. It should 
be treated only with ridicule. So will Herod say, when 
he understands the affair.” 

“ So will not Caesar say, my lord,” answered Caiaphas, 
with a sneer upon his curled lip ; “if you let this man 
go, (for Herod will not, surely, accept your courtesy, 
and judge him within your jurisdiction,) the Jewish 
nation will draw up a memorial, accusing you to the 
Emperor, of protecting treason. You will be summoned 


382 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


by the Senate to answer the charge ; and though you 
should succeed in clearing yourself, you will have lost 
your government, given to another, and for your fair 
name, you will live, ever after, under Caesar’s sus- 
picions I” 

Here the High Priest, said my uncle Amos, who heard 
all that passed, looked with concentrated maliciousness 
into the eyes of the Italian ruler, who turned pale, and 
hit his lips with vexation. 

“ My lord priest, thou art bent, I see, on this innocent 
man’s death. I am no Jew, to understand how he has 
drawn upon himself thy terrible wrath, and that of thy 
nation. It must have been something I am incapa- 
ble of comprehending. I will see what Herod will 
say, who, being a Jew, is familiar with your customs. 
But it seems to me, 0 Priest, that the testimony of 
the wretched man whom some of you bribed to be- 
tray his master into your power, should now release 
him !” 

Pilate now reseated himself upon his throne to give 
hearing to other complaints. 

After the lapse of half an hour, a youth threw himself 
from his horse, at the door of the court, and drew near 
the Procurator. 

“ What aileth thee, Alexander ?” demanded Pilate, 
on seeing blood on his temples, and that he seemed 
faint. 

“ But a trifle, now, my good lord. I was thrown from 
my horse, who was startled at a burning torch, lying 
on the ground ; and was detained at a hospitable house 
until I was able to remount, which brings me hither 
late.” 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


383 


“ And w hy come at all ? What news sends my 
fair wife, that she should despatch you from my house 
in Bethany at this early hour ? No evil tidings, hoy ?” 

“ None, my lord — save this note.” 

The Greek page then handed his master a small 
roll of rose-tinted parchment, tied, with scarlet thread. 
He cut the knot with his dagger and reading the 
contents became deadly pale. Caiaphas watched him 
closely, as if he would read, reflected in his eyes, 
the contents of the note which had so deeply moved 
him. 

“j Caiaphas,” said the Procurator, “this prisoner must 
he released !” 

“ It is either his destruction, proud Roman, or thine /” 
answered the High Priest, turning and walking haughtily 
away. 

Pilate looked after him with a troubled air, and then 
re-entered the Hall of Judgment, and seating himself 
upon his throne again read the parchment. 

“ Have thou nothing to do with this just man ,” 

he read, half aloud, “ for I have suffered many things 
this day in a dream because of him ! The very gods 
seem to take sides with this extraordinary young pris- 
oner,” he exclaimed, “ would to Jove that Herod may 
have sense enough to release him, and relieve me of 
this unpleasant business. One might better keep in sub- 
jection a province of painted and savage Scythians, than 
these fierce Jews. I should be well rid of my Procura- 
torship ; but I will not lose it by accusation from them ! 
I must save both Jesus and myself !” 

While he was yet speaking and musing with himself, 
unconsciously, aloud, so that those who stood about 


384 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


him, among whom was El Nathan, the brother of the 
maid Mirza, who dwells in our household, and from 
whom I received this portion of the narrative, there was 
heard a great noise of voices, in the direction of the Mac- 
cabean Palace ; and as it grew nearer and more distinct, 
Pilate started up, and cried : 

“ It is as I feared — Herod gives them no satisfaction, 
and they come again to me ! Oh, that the gods would 
give me wisdom and nerve for this trying hour, so that 
I condemn not the innocent, nor bring myself into the 
power of an accusation to Caesar, from these wicked 
Jews !” 

At this moment the multitude, increased, if it were 
possible, in numbers and in vindictiveness, reappeared, 
pressing Jesus before them. This time He was alone, 
JEmilius having been separated from Him in the palace, 
and kept by the crowd from rejoining Him. He was 
now unbound, and upon his head was a crown of thorns, 
piercing the tender temples, till the blood trickled all 
down his face ; upon his shoulders was clasped an old 
purple royal robe, once worn by Herod, in his state of 
petty king ; and his hand held a reed, as a sceptre ; and 
as He walked along, the bitterest among the priests, as 
well as the vilest of the common fellows, mockingly bent 
the knee before Him, crying : 

“ Hail!. King Jesus! Hail, Royal Nazarene ! All 
hail !” 

Others went before Him, carrying mock standards — 
while others, acting as heralds, ran, shouting : 

“ Make way for the King of the Jews ! Do homage, 
all men, to Csesar ! This is the great Tiberius, em- 
peror of Nazareth ! Behold his glittering crown ! Mark 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


385 


his royal robes, and see his dazzling sceptre! Bend 
the knee — bend the knee, men of Judah, before your 
king !” 

When Pilate saw this spectacle, and heard these words, 
he trembled, and was heard to say : 

“ Either this man or I must perish! These Jews are 
become madmen with rage, and demand a sacrifice. 
One of us must fall !” 

Oh, that I could write all I feel ; but I am compelled, 
my dear father, to end here. 

Your affectionate child, 

Adina. 


LETTER XXXIII. 

My Dear Father : 

In this letter, which I write in the solitude of my 
chamber, while all in the house have sought repose, will 
be continued my account of the trial, if such it can be 
called, of Jesus. I have already shown you how He 
was first taken to Annas, and thence dragged before 
Caiaphas and the Sanhedrim, who, unable to execute upon 
Him the sentence of death, sent Him to the Procura- 
tor Pilate, charged with conspiracy ; while he, shrink- 
ing from condemning a man whom he knew to be in- 
nocent of any crime, and yet fearing to release Him, 
Jest he should be impeached by the Jews to Caesar, 
sought to shift the responsibility upon Herod, in 
whose tetrarchy lay Nazareth, where Jesus ordinarily 
dwelt. 


17 


386 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


John, the faithful, and yet trusting disciple whom 
Jesus loved, still kept near his captive Master, and 
sought to cheer Him hy affectionate looks, and, where 
he could do it with safety, hy kind acts. More than 
once he was rudely thrust aside by the fiercer Jews, and 
once several men seized upon him, and would have 
done him violence, as a follower of the Prophet, if Caia- 
phas, to whom John is remotely related, and who knows 
him well, had not interposed. Indeed, in was through 
this protecting influence of the High Priest, that the 
disciple was allowed to remain near Jesus. And 
while John was thus doing all that he could to soften 
the asperity of his friend’s treatment, we at home were 
exerting ourselves to soothe the maternal solicitude of 
Mary of Nazareth, his noble and heart-broken mother, 
whom with difficulty we could restrain from rushing to 
the palace, and casting herself at the feet of the Pro- 
curator, to implore him to interpose to save her son — 
her only son — from the hands of his own countrymen ! 
Thus a twofold scene of anguish, at the palace and in 
the house of Rabbi Amos, was passing. Mary, Martha, 
and Lazarus, were also with us, having come into the 
city as soon as my cousin Mary’s letter reached them ; 
and, besides, there were with us four or five of the disci- 
ples, who had come in, one by one, secretly, for fear of 
being seized by the Jews, and were anxiously waiting 
here the result, and firmly believing that Jesus would 
yet free himself by his divine and miraculous power. At 
every approach of a footfall at the door, they eagerly 
cried: “ It is the Lord!” But, ah, in vain their hopes 
and all our anticipations ! 

Herod, the Tetrarch of Galilee, who occupied the old 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


387 


palace of the Maccabees, which Alexander, the Macedo- 
nian, had built for Seleucus, was breaking his fast with 
fruit and wine, at a table overlooking, by a window, the 
street of the Gentiles, when the noise of the advancing 
thousands of the Jews, who were bringing Jesus before 
him, reached his ear. He started from the table, and 
said : 

“ These people are surely up in insurrection against 
Pilate !” 

“ No, great Prince,” answered the lad Abel, his cup- 
bearer, who is related to John, and has told me many of 
these things ; “ they have taken the Nazarene Prophet, 
Jesus, and are trying him for sedition.” 

“ This uproar proceeds from no trial, but from a wild 
mob in motion, and they seem to be approaching,” was 
his answer to him. 

As Herod spoke, he went to the lattice of his basilica, 
and beheld the head of the multitude, just emerging into 
the street, from that which descended from the hill of the 
Pretorium. At first he could not make out of the con- 
fused mass any individual objects. 

“ There are spears and Romans in the van — and I 
see priests and peasants mixed together. I now see the 
cause of all the tumult — a mere youth, bound and soiled, 
and pale as marble ! What, sirs, this is not the Great 
Prophet, of whose fame I have heard ?” he said, turn- 
ing to his officers. “ What mean they by bringing him 
hither ? Yet, Per Baccho ! I am glad to get a sight of 
him 1” 

The crowd, like the swelling Nile, flowed towards the 
gates, roaring and chafing like its mighty cataracts, so 
that there was something fearfully sublime in this dis- 


388 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


play of the power of human passions. ^Emilias, with 
difficulty, succeeded in getting his prisoner into the piaz- 
za of the palace, so closely pressed the crowd of Jews 
around and upon him. At length he stood with Him 
before Herod, in his banquet-hall, at the further end of 
which was a dais , or throne, where the Tetrarch sat 
down, while the Jews filled all the vast room with a bil- 
lowy sea of eager faces. 

“ Most royal Prince,” said iEmilius, kneeling before 
Herod, and presenting the signet, “ I am sent by his 
excellency, Pontius Pilate, the Roman Procurator of 
Judea, to bring before you this person, accused of blas- 
phemy ! Ignorant of your customs and faith, the 
Governor desires that you, who are of his nation, would 
examine Him ; and, moreover, Pilate, learning that 
He is a Galilean, and a subject of your jurisdiction, 
courteously declines interfering with your authority.” 

When Herod Antipas heard delivered so courteous a 
message from the Procurator, with whom he had been 
some time at enmity, he was pleased. 

“ Say thou, Sir Knight, to his excellency, the most 
noble and princely Governor of Judea, that I appreciate 
his extraordinary civility, and that nothing will give me 
more pleasure, in return for such distinguished courtesy, 
than to be considered by him his friend ; and that I 
regret any occurrence that has hitherto estranged us. 
Convey to him my assurance of the high estimation in 
which he has ever been held by me.” 

iEmilius, upon receiving this answer, arose, and 
bowed, and then said, with the boldness which charac- 
terizes him : 

“ Most gracious and royal Tetrarch, I pray you heed 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


389 


not the charges of these Jews, touching this prisoner. 
They have conceived against Him a hitter hatred, 
without just cause. He has done nothing worthy of 
death ! Pilate could find nothing whatsoever, in Him 
deserving of the attention of the dignity of a Roman 
tribunal.” 

“ Let thy prisoner fear not,” answered Herod, at the 
same time regarding Jesus attentively, as Pie stood be- 
fore him, in the calm majesty of innocence. “ I will 
not take Pilate’s prerogative of judgment out of his hand, 
so handsomely tendered to me. If he hath blasphemed 
— Mehercule ! the High Priest, and priests of the Temple 
itself,” he added, laughing, “ do that every day of their 
lives ; for religion is at a low ebb among the hypocriti- 
cal knaves ! I have nothing to do with their charges of 
blasphemy, or I would have them all stoned to death, 
without mercy. I will first see some miracles wrought 
by thy far-famed prisoner, noble iEmilius, and then send 
him back to my illustrious friend Pontius, whom his 
gods prosper in all things.” 

Herod then fixing his eyes curiously upon Jesus, who 
had stood silently before him, seemingly the only un- 
moved person in the vast concourse, heaving and mur- 
muring around him, said to the soldiers : 

“ Unbind him ! By the staff of Jacob ! he hath been 
roughly handled. Men of Israel, it becomes not such 
as you to do violence to a man before he is condemned ; 
and then if it be proved he have done aught deserving 
chastisement, let the law punish him. This man is a 
Galilean, and I am bound to see him have justice, and 
to protect him from wrong.” 

While he was speaking, John arranged his mantle 


390 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


about his form. Herod regarded, with interest and 
looks of compassion, the pale and divinely-serene coun- 
tenance of the prisoner ; and seemed struck with the 
indescribable majesty of his aspect and bearing, and the 
purity of soul that beamed from his holy eyes. 

“ Art thou the Nazarene, Jesus, of whom I have heard 
so much ?” he asked, in deferential tones. 

“ I am He,” was the quiet answer of the captive. 

“ Then gladly do I meet thee ; for I have long time 
desired to see thee ; and I would fain behold thee do 
some miracle. Men say thou canst heal the sick, restore 
the maimed, and raise the dead ! Does rumor belie thy 
powers ? What ! art thou silent ? Dost thou not know 
who it is that speaks to thee ? Come hither, fellow,” 
he called to a Samaritan muleteer, who stood in the 
crowd, whose oval face and Jewish eyes showed him to 
be both of Assyrian and Israelitish descent, whose arm 
had been taken off by a sword, in a contest with Barab- 
bas and his robbers ; “ come hither, and let this prophet 
prove his power and mission, by restoring thy arm whole, 
like as the other !” 

The man alertly came forward, and all eyes were di- 
rected eagerly upon him and upon Jesus ; but he thrust 
the stump of his arm, by Herod’s order, in vain before 
Jesus. The eyes of the Prophet moved not from their 
meditative look upon the ground. 

“ Art thou mocking us, thou false Christ ?” cried the 
Tetrarch, angrily ; “ wilt thou neither speak nor act ? 
If thou art not an impostor, do a miracle before us all, 
and we will believe in thee !” 

Jesus remained motionless, yet preserved a firm and 
majestic countenance, that made Him look more kingly 
than Herod. 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


391 


tl He is a deceiver ! He performed his works through 
Beelzebub, who has now deserted him !” cried the 
priests. 

“ Nazarene,” said Herod, “ I am a Jew, also. If thou 
wilt prove to me, by a sign that I will name, that thou 
art the Christ, I will not only become thy follower, but 
will let thee go free. Your silence is an insult to my 
power. I warn thee that my patience is not divine — I 
make no pretensions to superior sanctity. Thou seest 
yonder marble statue of Judas Maccabeus. Command 
the sword in its hand to wave thrice above its helmeted 
head, and I will bend the knee to thee ! Nay — wilt 
not? I will give thee, then, something easier to do! 
Seest thou the carved pomegranates in the entablature 
of the wall ? Bid the one which hangs over this column 
become ripe, natural fruit, and fall at my feet ! No ?” 

“ He has no .power — his friend Beelzebub hath given 
him up into our *liands! Death to the necromancer!” 
were the terrible words which now made the hall 
tremble. 

“ He is an accursed blasphemer ! He calls himself 
the Son of Grod ! He breaks the Sabbath-day ! He is 
a foe to our religion ! He would destroy the Temple !” 
was shouted by Abner, the priests, and the scribes. 

1 • See the whirlwind thou hast raised, 0 Nazarene !” 
cried Herod, rising; “if thou art a Prophet, no harm 
can they do thee ; and if thou art an impostor, if they 
kill thee thou deservest thy fate ! I give thee up into 
their hands ! Save thyself, if thou be the Christ !” 

Scarcely had Herod spoken these words, relinquishing 
Jesus into the hands of his foes, than, with a savage cry, 
as the famished jackals in the desert rush upon their 


392 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


prey, they rushed upon their victim. iEmilius could 
net protect Him : nay, some of Herod’s soldiers, whom 
the Jews had half intoxicated with wine, joined them as 
soon as they saw their master Antipas had cast Him off, 
and began to scoff and mock Him, and one of them 
thrust a helmet on his head, and pulled the visor down 
over his eyes ! 

“ Nay,” said Herod, on seeing this, “ as he calls him- 
self a king, remove the helmet and crown him, and robe 
him royally, and place a sceptre in his hand ; and, lo ! 
yonder block will make him a proper throne ! We must 
show Pilate how we Jews serve men who usurp the 
power of his master, Caesar !” 

No words could have better pleased the people, save 
such as would have sentenced Jesus to death. With a 
glad response, they began to put into execution the hint 
he had so wickedly given them. One of his men of war 
brought a cast-off robe of purple, wfiich belonged to 
Herod, and, with loud shouts of laughter, and coarse 
jests, they robed Him in it, unresisting as the lamb 
wreathed for the sacrifice. Some one then untwined 
the creeping thorn, which grew on the outer wall, and 
twisting it into the shape of a crown, handed it over the 
heads of the men to Abner, whose hatred against Jesus 
proceeded from the well-known fact that among the 
changers of money, whom He drove from the Temple, 
was a younger brother, who was making, by his busi- 
ness, great gains for the avaricious priest, who, therefore, 
never forgave this act of the Prophet. 

When Abner saw the crown, he smiled with malicious 
gratification, and nodded approvingly to the man, said : 

“ This is what we needed ! Nothing could have done 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


393 


better and with his two hands he placed it upon the 
head of Jesus, pressing, cruelly, the sharp thorns into 
his temples, till the blood trickled from a dozen wounds. 
Jesus made no complaint, but the pain forced large 
bright tears from his eyes, which rolled down his cheeks 
and fell along the purple robe like glittering pearls. 

“ Here is also a sceptre for our king!” exclaimed the 
Samaritan with one arm, using the one to reach a piece 
of reed, from which a Passover lamb had been slung, to 
those who were arraying Jesus. This was thrust into 
the Prophet’s grasp, and He held it patiently. His sub- 
mission, his silence, his endurance of pain, his constant 
dignity, and the majestic submission which He seemed to 
manifest to all their insults and tortures, brought tears 
into the eyes of iEmilius ; and John, unable to benefit 
his dear Master, kneeling at his feet, bathed them with 
his flowing tears, nor stirred from Him though men tram- 
pled upon him and smote him ; but he desired to suffer 
with his Master, and, as he said to me, would gladly 
have borne in his stead all his indignities. Even Herod 
stood amazed at such God-like forbearance, and said to 
his chief captain : 

“ If this man is not the Son of God, he is worthy to 
be deified. Such sublime patience is more than human 
—it is divine ! You Romans, iEmilius, would make a 
hero of such a man, and when he died, worship him as 
a god !” 

“ Then, mighty prince, why suffer Him to be thus 
entreated ?” asked iEmilius. 

“ It is his own choice. I have entreated him fairly ! 
I asked of him but one of those miracles men say he 
works, as proof of his Messiahship, and he works me 
17 * 


394 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID 


none — shows me no sign ! The inference is that he can 
do none, and, therefore, is an impostor. Else, why not 
prove to me his pretensions by working a miracle ?” 

“ Most royal prince,” said Abner, aloud, “ thou now 
beholdest the ‘King of the Jews,’ crowned, robed, and 
sceptred !” and he pointed to Jesus. 

“ Hail ! most puissant and potent sovereign of Gali- 
lee ! Hail ! King of Fishermen !” cried Herod, mocking 
him, and seemingly greatly amused at the jest. “ If 
thou wilt tell me in what part of cloud-land thy capital 
lies, I and my court will pay thee a visit. Doubtless, 
thou hast a brave army of Galilee fishermen, and a 
mighty fleet of fishing boats ! Hail ! powerful king ! 
What, fellows, men-at-arms, and all ye gapers ! bend ye 
not the knee before this royal personage ? Do homage 
to your king !” 

Upon this many who were around Him kneeled, and 
some, mockingly, even prostrated themselves before the 
Prophet ; but He stood so very like a monarch, that 
others, who were about to mock Him, refrained ; while 
Herod turned away, with a troubled look, saying, ab- 
ruptly : 

“ Take him back to the Procurator !” 

Once more the vast multitude were in motion, and 
with cries and insults, escorted Jesus from the presence 
of Herod, back to the Pretorium, as I have already sta- 
ted in my previous letter. 

When Pilate beheld their return in this manner, and 
understood how that Herod declined exercising his priv- 
ilege in the matter, he was greatly vexed. When, once 
more, Jesus stood before him, arrayed as I have de- 
scribed, in the gorgeous robe and crown, Pilate, turning 
towards Caiaphas and the priests, said, angrily : 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


395 


“What more will ye have? "Why bring this man 
again before me ? Ye say he perverteth the people. 
Behold, I have examined him before yon, and have found 
no fault in him. You proved nothing by your witnesses, 
touching those things whereof ye accuse him. I then 
sent you with him to Herod, and lo ! the Tetrarch of 
Galilee, one of your own nation, finds naught in him 
worthy of death! Doubtless he has said something 
about not paying tribute, and deserves for this a light 
punishment, but not death. I will chastise him, charge 
him that he be more cautious, and let him go.” 

4 4 If thou let this man go, thou art an enemy to Tibe- 
rius,” answered Caiaphas ; 44 seest thou what a commo- 
tion he has raised in the city ? If he is released there 
will be a revolution, and Caesar will come and take 
away our place and nation. Is it better that all men in 
Judea should perish than one man ? It is expedient 
that he die for the people. Nothing less than his death 
will now save our nation !” 

“ In the name of Olympian Jove, 0 Nazarene, what 
hast thou done to incense these Jews ? If thou art their 
king, prove it to them or to me,” demanded Pilate, 
greatly troubled. 

44 My kingdom is not of the earth,” answered Jesus. 
44 If my kingdom were an earthly one, then would my 
servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the 
Jews ; but my kingdom is not of this world.” 

44 Then thou confessest thyself a king !” exclaimed 
Pilate, with surprise. 

44 Thou sayest that which I am — a King. To this end 
was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, 
that I should bear witness to the truth.” 


396 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID. 


“ Truth ! What, is truth ?” asked the Roman ; hut / 
without waiting for Jesus to reply, and seeing that the 
Jews outside of the hall were becoming more and more 
impatient, he hurriedly went out to them and said : 

“ I find in the prisoner no fault at all. But ye have 
a custom, that I should at the Passover pardon a crimi- 
nal out of prison, as an act of clemency, in honor of the 
day. Will ye, therefore, that I pardon and release unto 
you this ‘ King of the Jews’ ?” 

No sooner had Pilate made this proposal, than they all 
with one voice, and furious gestures, cried : 

“ No ! no ! not this man ! We will not have him re- 
leased. We will have the vilest malefactor thy prison 
holds, rather than he !” 

“ Whom shall I then release unto you ?” demanded 
Pilate, in a tone of disappointment. 

“ Barabbas ! Barabbas !” was echoed and re-echoed 
by ten thousand voices. 

This Barabbas, dear father, is the same fierce bandit 
of whom I have spoken in one of my earlier letters, two 
years ago, who was then captured by iEmilius, but sub- 
sequently escaped. He has recently been a second time 
taken captive, while heading a sedition in the city, and 
lies now under condemnation of death, and was that day 
to have been crucified, with two of his lieutenants. But, 
at the loud demand of the people, Pilate was now forced 
to send to the officer of the wards to let him go free, and 
it was but a short time before he was escorted from his 
cell to the front of the Pretorium, in great pomp, and 
became presently one of the most active in hostility to 
Jesus. 

Pilate, therefore, finding that the Jews would be con- 


OR, THREE YEARS IN' THE HOLY CITY. 


397 


tent with nothing less than the hlood of Jesus, returned, 
sorrowfully, into the Judgment HalJ, where he had left 
Him seated upon the lower step of his throne ; for the 
stricken Prophet could no longer stand for weariness, and 
for the heavy treatment He had undergone. 

The residue of my narrative of the condemnation and 
crucifixion, I will give in the morning, dear father. 

Your loving daughter, 

Adina 


LETTER XXXIY. 

My Dearest Father : 

I now - resume the narrative of the condemnation, or 
rather sentence, of Jesus, after He had been brought a 
second time before Pilate. The Procurator, finding that 
the Jews would have the Prophet’s life, and that, if he 
resisted further, he himself would be reported to Csesar, 
aS protecting a revolutionist and usurper, vacillated, and 
showed an indecision that became not a Roman Gover- 
nor. His sense of justice revolted at sacrificing, to the 
hatred of the priests and people, an innocent man, 
against whom no accusation had been proven ; and he 
feared for his own name and fame, should Tiberius, who 
is always jealous of his Oriental Governors, believe their 
statement of the case. 

Jesus, as I stated in my last, had, from very weak- 
ness, sunk upon the steps of the throne of the Hall of 
Judgment. John knelt by Him, bathing the wounds in 
his temples, from off which he had boldly taken the 


398 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


crown of thorns. When Pilate, after giving the order to 
release the robber chief Barabbas, came again where 
Jesus was, he stopped, and regarded Him attentively, 
and with an expression of sorrow and admiration. The 
youthful beauty, the dignity, even in his humiliation, 
the patience, and air of innocence that enveloped Him, 
deeply impressed him. At length he spoke : 

“ If thou be indeed a god, 0 heroic young man, as thy 
patience would seem to prove thee to be, thou needest 
not to fear these bloodhounds, that bay so fiercely for 
thy blood. If thou art an impostor and a seditionist, 
thou verily meritest death. I regard thee but as a 
youthful enthusiast, and would let thee go free — but I 
cannot protect thee. My soldiers are reduced, by send- 
ing them to garrison Jericho and Gaza, to less than three 
hundred men ; and of these enraged Jews there are half 
a million in the city. It is only by moral force, and 
show of power, that I keep them in subjection. If I 
release thee, not only thou, but also all my troops, wilt 
be massacred, for we are but a handful in their grasp. 
Tell me truly, art thou a son of the divine Jupiter ?” 

WTien Jesus, instead of replying, remained silent, the 
Procurator said, sternly : 

“ What, speaketh thou not unto me ? Knowest thou 
not that I have power to crucify thee as a malefac- 
tor, and power, if I choose to meet the risk, to release 
thee ?” 

Jesus looked up, and calmly said : 

“ Thou couldst have no power against me except it 
were given thee from above. Therefore, he that delivered 
me into thy hand hath the greater sin !” 

And as Jesus said these words in an impressive tone, 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


399 


He glanced fixedly at Caiaphas, who was looking in at 
the door, as if designating the High Priest. Upon this 
Pilate pressed his hands against his forehead, and paced 
several times, to and fro, before the Judgment-seat, as 
if greatly troubled. Caiaphas, seeing his irresolution, 
cried, harshly : 

u If thou lettest this self-styled king go, 0 Governor, 
thou art not Caesar’s friend ! Our whole nation charges 
him, before you, with setting himself up to be our king 
over us, when Tiberius is the only king to whom 
we can owe allegiance. Release the usurper, if thou 
darest, and I would not give two brass mites for thy 
head !” 

Pilate’s brow grew dark. He took Jesus by the hand, 
and leading Him to the portal, pointed to Him, and said 
aloud : 

“ Behold your king ! What will you that I should do 
with him ! Looks he like a man to be feared ?” 

“ We have no king but Caesar !” 

“ Crucify him !” 

“ To the Cross with the false prophet !” 

u Death to the usurper ! Long live Caesar ! Long 
live Tiberius ! Death to the Nazarene ! To the Cross ! 
to the Cross with him ! Let him be crucified !” 

These were the various cries from ten thousand throats, 
that responded to the Procurator’s address. Impressed, 
as he has since said, with the innocence of Jesus, and re- 
membering the warning message sent him by his young 
and beautiful wife, who held great influence over him, 
he trembled with indecision. 

“ Why will you compel me to crucify an innocent man ? 
What evil hath he done ?” 


400 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID 


u Crucify him ! Crucify him !” was the deafening 
response. 

“ I will chastise him and let him go !” 

“ At your peril, release him, 0 Roman!” exclaimed 
Caiaphas, in a menacing tone. “ Either he or you must 
die this day for the people. Blood must flow to appease 
this tempest !” 

The tumult was now appalling. The voices of the 
chief priests and people kept up a ceaseless uproar, calling 
for his crucifixion ; while in vain Pilate appealed^ their 
humanity and justice. They drowned his voice with their 
own ; and his gesticulations for silence only increased the 
roar of the human whirlwind. 

When the Procurator saw that he could prevail nothing, 
hut that rather the tumult increased, he called for water, 
which was brought to him in a basin, by his page ; and 
in the presence of the whole multitude, he washed his 
hands, saying : 

“ I am innocent of the blood of this just person. See 
ye to it, 0 Jews, ye and your High Priest !” 

“ His blood be upon us, and on our children,” an- 
swered Caiaphas ; and all the people re-echoed his 
language. 

“ Ay ! on us and on our children rest the guilt of his 
blood !” 

“ Be it so,” answered the Procurator, with a dark 
brow, and face pale as the dead. “ Take ye him and 
crucify him, and may the G-od he worships judge you, 
not me, for this day’s deeds.” 

Pilate then turned away from them, and said to Jesus, 
who stood unmoved with the same heroic and celestial 
serenity which He had manifested throughout the storm 
raging about Him : 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


401 


“ Thou art, I feel, an innocent man ; but thou seest 
that I cannot save thee ! I know thou wilt forgive me, 
and that death can have no terrors for one of fortitude 
like thine !” 

J esus made him no answer ; and Pilate, turning from 
Him, with a sad countenance, walked slowly away, and 
left the Judgment Hall. As he did so, one of his captains 
said to him : 

“ Shall I scourge him, my lord, according to the Roman 
law, which commands all who are sentenced to die to he 
scourged ?” 

“Do as the law commands,” answered the weak- 
minded Roman. 

His disappearance was the signal for a general rush 
towards Jesus, chiefly by the rabble, who, indifferent 
about Gentile defilement, crossed the threshold into the 
hall, which the chief priests had refrained from doing. 
These base fellows seized Jesus, and, aided by the men- 
at-arms, dragged Him forth into the outer or common 
hall. Here they stripped Him, and, by order of the 
chief captain, a soldier scourged Him with forty stripes, 
save one. They then re-arrayed his lacerated and bleed- 
ing form in the torn, kingly robe, which John had re- 
moved when he had taken off his crown of thorns ; but 
now they replaced both the crown and the robe, and 
once more went through the mockery of homage, kneel- 
ing and hailing Him, “ King of the Jews.” 

All this Jesus still bore with Godlike majesty. Not a 
murmur escaped his lips ; not a glance of resentment 
kindled the holy depths of his eyes, which, from time to 
time, were uplifted to heaven, as if He sought for help 
and strength from thence. 


402 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


Not only iEmilius, but John, was now separated from 
Him ; but my uncle, the Rabbi, stood near, in order to 
see what would follow ; and to use his influence, if pos- 
sible, to induce the chief priests to abandon the idea of 
killing Him. 

“ G-ood Rabbi,” said Jesus to him, “ let them do with 
me what they list ! My Father hath given me into their 
hands. I die, but not for myself ; I can keep or yield 
up my life, as I will.” 

“ Oh, then, dear Master !” cried my uncle, “ why not 
save thyself ? "Why shouldst thou suffer all this, and 
death also, if thou hast the power over thy life ?” 

“ If I die not, then were ye all dead ! The Scripture 
must be fulfilled, which spoke of me : 4 He was led like 
a lamb to the slaughter.’ ” 

Here Rabbi Amos could speak no more to Him, for 
the crowd dragged Him off out of the court of Gabba- 
tha, and so down the steep street, in the direction of the 
gate of the kings, that leads out to Calvary, the public 
place of execution, where the Romans, since they have 
been masters of Jerusalem, have executed criminals by 
their cruel mode of crucifying. At the gate, a Roman 
Centurion took Him into custody under arms, and escorted 
Him, followed by the vast multitude. 

Rabbi Amos accompanied the multitude, keeping as 
nigh to Jesus as the Roman soldiers, who marched on 
each side of Him, would let him. On the way, as they 
crossed the open space where once stood the palace and 
statue of Antiochus Seleucus, the eyes of the Rabbi 
were attracted by the cries and pointed fingers of many 
of the people, to the body of a man lying dead at the 
foot of a withered fig-tree. Upon drawing nearer, he 


























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Oil, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


403 


recognized the features of the man Judas, who had so 
basely betrayed his Master ! The spectacle which he 
exhibited was revolting, and horrid to look upon ! About 
his neck was wound a fragment of his girdle, the 
other half being still secured to a limb of the tree, show- 
ing how he had met his fate. The cord had broken by 
his weight, and being a fleshy man, he had, most dread- 
ful to relate, in the fall burst asunder, and the hungry 
dogs that infest the suburbs, were feeding upon his bowels. 
With cries of horror, several of the mob drove them away ; 
but the Roman Centurion, whom Pilate had ordered to 
crucify Jesus for the Jews, directed four of his soldiers 
to convey the hideous corpse from sight, and see that it 
was either burned or buried. 

“ If,” said Rabbi Amos to John, who now rejoined 
him, “ if the accusers of Jesus are to be punished like 
this man, this will be a fearful day for the men of Jeru- 
salem. Judas, the betrayer, dies before his victim dies, 
and by his own hand. This looks like Divine retribu- 
tion, and, as if Jesus were, in truth, the favored Prophet 
of the Highest.” 

By this time, the people, who were dragging Jesus to 
death were got well beyond the gate, when a cross of 
heavy cypress was obtained by the Centurion, from a 
yard near the lodge, wherein stood several newly-made 
crosses, awaiting whatsoever victims Roman justice 
might, from day to day, condemn to death. Two others 
were also brought out, and laid upon the shoulders of 
two men, the lieutenants of Barabbas. who were also 
that day to be crucified. The released Barabbas was 
himself present, and in order to please the people, the 
most active in laying the cross upon the back of the 
already faint and drooping Jesus. 


404 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID . 


By the time the great crowd had passed the gate, it 
was known throughout all Jerusalem, that Pilate had 
given orders for the crucifixion of the Nazarene Prophet ; 
and, with one mind, all who had known Him, and be- 
lieved in Him, or loved Him, left their houses, to go out 
after Him, to witness his crucifixion ; for, I forgot to 
say, that Caiaphas had promised, if Jesus were delivered 
up that his followers should not be molested. There- 
fore, every person went out of the gate towards Calvary. 
Mary, his mother, my cousin Mary, Martha and her 
sister, Lazarus, John, and Peter, and Thomas, and some 
women, relatives from G-alilee, and many others also 
went. "When we had got without the walls, we seemed 
to leave a deserted city behind us. As far as the 
eye could embrace, there was a countless multitude 
moving along the vast space, between the Grate of the 
Kings and the Place of Calvary. Jesus was borne in 
front, where we could now and then catch the gleam of 
a Roman spear. We hastened to get near Him, and, 
with difficulty, made our way to the head of the throng ; 
both foes and friends giving back, when they saw his 
weeping mother among us. 

At the approach to Calvary we found that, from 
some cause, the course of the mighty current of hu- 
man beings was checked. We soon learned the rea- 
son. Jesus had sunk to the ground, under the weight 
of the wooden beams on which He was to die, and 
fainted. 

“ He is dead 1” was the cry of those about Him ; 
but, as we drew near, He was just reviving, some one 
having offered wine to his lips, and poured water 
upon his brow. He stood up, looking mildly around, 
when meeting his mother’s gaze, He said, touchingly : 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


405 


“ Weep not, my mother ! Remember what I have 
often told thee of this hour, and believe! The sword 
pierces through thy soul, b it is held in my Father’s 
hand. Mine hour is come.” 

Thus speaking, He smiled upon his mother, and upon 
us, with a certain look of divine peace illuminating his 
countenance. 

Barabbas, the robber-chief, who had, in some degree, 
taken the lead of the mob, now, with the aid of three 
men, raised the cross again to the shoulders of Jesus, 
and the soldiers ordered Him to move on. But the 
young victim sank at once beneath the insupportable 
load. Upon this they were at a loss what to do ; for it 
is ignominious for Jew or Gentile to aid in hearing a 
malefactor’s cross, and not a Roman would touch it ; 
while the Jews would not for fear of defilement, which 
would compel them to he set apart afterward for many 
days’ purification. Barabbas again raised Jesus to his 
feet, and began to scourge Him, to make Him drag the 
heavy beams up the steep of Calvary. But He had no 
strength to advance three steps with it, though He made 
the effort to obey his tyrannous executioners. At this 
crisis they discerned a Syro-Phoenician merchant, Simon 
of Cyrene, a venerable man, well known to all in Jeru- 
salem, and father of the two young men, Rufus and 
Alexander, who were followers of Jesus, having sold the 
last year all they had in order to become his disciples, 
and sit at his feet and listen to his divine teachings. 
Their father was, for this or some other reason, particu- 
larly obnoxious to Abner, and, on seeing him, he pointed 
him out to the Centurion, “ as one of the Nazarenes,” 
and suggested that he should he compelled to bear the 
cross after him. 


406 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


The Cyrenian merchant was at once dragged from his 
mule, and led to the place where the cross lay, believing 
he was about to be himself executed. But when he be- 
held Jesus standing, pale and bleeding, by the fallen 
cross, and knew what was required of him, he burst into 
tears, and kneeling at his feet, said : 

“ If they compel me to do this, Lord, think not that I 
aid thy death ! I know that thou art a Prophet come 
from God ! If thou diest to-day, Jerusalem will have 
more precious blood to answer for than the blood of all 
her prophets.” 

“ We brought thee here not to prate, old man, but 
to work. Thou art strong-bodied. Up with this 
end of the cross, and go on after him !” cried the chief 
priests. 

Simon, who is a powerful man, though three-score 
years of age, raised the extremity of the beam, and Jesus 
essayed to move under the weight of the other ; but He 
failed. 

“ Let me bear it alone, Master,” answered the stout 
Simon ; “ I am the stronger. Thou hast enough to bear 
the weight of thy own sorrow. If it be a shame to bear 
a cross after thee, I glory in my shame, as would my 
two sons, were they here this day.” 

Thus speaking, in a courageous and bold voice, and 
looking as brave as if he would as gladly be nailed to the 
cross for his Master, as carry it after Him, (for Simon 
had long believed in Him, as well as his sons,) he lifted 
the cross and bore it on his shoulders after Jesus, who, 
weak from loss of blood and sleep, and weary unto death, 
had to lean for support against one arm of the instru- 
ment of death. 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


407 


^h, my dear father, what a place was this, across 
which we moved ! Skulls lay scattered beneath our 
footsteps, and everywhere human hones bleached in the 
air ; and we trode in heaps of ashes, where the Romans 
had burned the bodies of many of those whom they cru- 
cified. 

At length we reached this place of death, on which 
five crosses were already standing. Upon one of them 
a criminal still hung, just alive, who had befcn nailed to 
it the noon before. He called feebly for water, but some 
derided, and all passed him unheeded. There was an 
empty space in the midst of this Grolgotha, and here the 
Centurion stopped, and ordered the crosses to be set in 
the rock, where deep holes had been already cut. The 
crosses carried by the thieves were now thrown down by 
them ; by one with an execration, by the other with a 
sigh, as he anticipated the anguish he was to suffer 
upon it. 

The larger cross of the three was that for Jesus. It 
was taken by three soldiers from the back of the old 
Cyrenian merchant, and cast heavily upon the earth. It 
was now that a crisis approached, of the most painful 
interest. The Centurion ordered his soldiers to clear a 
circle about the place where the crosses were to be plant- 
ed, with their spears. The Jews, who had crowded near, 
in eager thirst for their victim’s blood, gave back slowly 
and reluctantly, before the sharp points of the Roman 
lances, pushed against their breasts ; for the Centurion 
had with him full three-score men-at-arms, besides a 
part of Herod’s guard. So great was the desire of the 
Jews to get near, that helpless females could not be 
otherwise than crowded away from the immediate scene. 


408 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


John, however, held his place close by his Master. He 
relates that Jesus continued to evince the same sublime 
composure, when the Centurion commanded the cruci- 
fiers to advance and nail the malefactors to their crosses. 
The robber-lieutenant, Ishmerai, who was an Edomite, 
upon seeing the man approach with the basket contain- 
ing the spikes and hammers, scowled fiercely upon him, 
and looked defiance. He was instantly seized by four 
savage-looking Parthian soldiers, of the Roman guard, 
and stripped, and thrown upon his back upon the cross. 
His struggles, for he was an athletic man, were so vio- 
lent, that it took six persons to keep him held down 
upon the arms of the cross, and his palms spread open, 
to receive the entering nail ; which one of the crucifiers, 
with naked and brawny arms, pressing one knee upon 
the wrist, drove in through the flesh and wood, by three 
quick and powerful blows, with his short, heavy-headed 
hammer. Ishmerai gnashed his teeth as the nail enter- 
ed the quivering flesh. The other hand, in like manner, 
was fastened, with difficulty, to the other arm of the 
wood ; and then, both feet being lapped together, a long, 
sharp spear-nail was driven through both into the tim- 
ber — while a shriek, mingled with curses, bore testimony 
to the agony suffered by the wretched man. 

Thus secured, he was left, bleeding and writhing, by 
the six crucifiers ; for there are four to bind the victim, 
one to hold the spikes, and the sixth to drive them home 
with his hammer ; and from the glance I caught of their 
half-naked and blood-stained figures, they were worthy 
to hold the dreadful office which made all men shun 
them as if they were leprous. 

They now approached Omri, the other robber, who 


OR, THREE YEARS IX THE HOLY CITY. 


409 


was a young man, with a mild look, and a face whose 
noble lineaments did not betray his profession. He was 
the son of a wealthy citizen in Jericho, and had, by 
riotous living, spent his patrimony, and joined Barabbas. 
He had heard Jesus preach in the wilderness of Jordan, 
and had once asked Him, with deep interest, many 
things touching the doctrines He taught. John, who 
had seen him talking with Jesus, a few months before, at 
Bethabara, now recognized him, and saw him regard the 
Prophet with reverential looks ; and more than once 
heard the latter speak kind words to him, as they went 
to the place of crucifixion. 

When the crucifiers, with their cords, baskets, nails, 
and iron hammer, drew near him, he said : 

“ I will not compel you to throw me down, I can die 
as I have lived, without fear ! As I have broken the 
laws, I am ready to suffer the penalty of the laws.” 

Thus speaking, he stretched himself upon his cross, 
and extending his palms along the transverse beam, he 
suffered them to nail him to the wood, uttering not a 
moan. He glanced towards Jesus at the same time, 
with an expression of courage, as if he sought to show 
Him that the pain could be borne by a brave man. 
And, perhaps, indeed, Jesus looked as if He needed an 
heroic example before Him to show Him how to die with- 
out shrinking, for his cheek was like the marble of Pa- 
ros in its whiteness, and He seemed ready to drop to the 
earth from weakness. His youth — his almost Divine 
beauty, which not even his tangled hair, and torn beard, 
and blood-streaked countenance, could wholly hide — the 
air of celestial innocence that beamed from his eyes, 
drew upon Him many glances of sympathy, even from 
18 


410 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


some of his foes. The Centurion, who was a tall man, 
with a grizzly heard, and with the hardy exterior of an 
old Roman warrior, looked upon Him with a sad gaze, 
and said : 

“ I do not see what men hate thee for, for thou seem- 
est more to be a man of love ; but I must do my duty, 
and I hope thou wilt forgive me what I do. A soldier’s 
honor is to obey.” 

Jesus smiled forgiveness upon him so sweetly, that 
the stern Roman’s eyes filled with tears, and he placed 
his gauntleted hand to his face to conceal his emotion, 
as he said : 

tl Pilate would not do this crime, were there another 
legion or two with him. It is the fewness of his men- 
at-afms that compels him to sacrifice thee, to please 
these howling Jews.” 

This was spoken in a low tone to Jesus, who made no 
reply ; for, at this moment, the crucifiers drew nigh, to 
prepare Him, by stripping, for the cross lying at his feet. 

But, my dear father, I can go on no longer now with 
my sad narrative. I am weary weeping at the recollec- 
tions it calls before me, and at our present affliction. In 
my next I will complete my account of the unhappy 
crucifixion of the Prophet of Nazareth, and with Him, 
the crucifixion and death of all our hopes in Him as 
Messias of God ! 

Your affectionate daughter, 


Adina. 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


411 


LETTER XXXY. 

Jerusalem — Third Morning after the Crucifixion . 
My Dear Father : 

It is now dawn, and I have arisen early, as I shall 
leave the city to-day, with my uncle, Rabbi Amos, and 
the whole family, in order to go to Bethany, to escape 
the Jews, who, notwithstanding the pledge given by 
Caiaphas, are diligently seeking the arrest of all in Jeru- 
salem who were the followers of the slain Prophet. As 
an hour or two will elapse before all is ready for our safe 
departure, I will occupy the interval in completing my 
sorrowful narrative of the crucifixion of Jesus, especially 
as Rabbi Amos, finding I have been so careful, hereto- 
fore, in recording all things concerning Him, desires me 
not to omit any particulars ; as my account may here- 
after be convenient to refer to, and, perhaps, if necessary, 
he laid before Csesar, in defence of such as may he sent 
to Rome on charges of sedition. I feel that my poor 
letters, dear father, are only valuable to you, and those 
I love ; hut, if they can aid in explaining anything for 
the exculpation of the poor Nazarenes, who are now so 
despised and vigilantly hunted, they are at the service 
even of the mighty Tiberius himself. Their only merit 
is accuracy of detail and truthfulness, so far as circum- 
stances have enabled me to ascertain the truth 


412 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


As I resume my pen, by the faint light of the dawn, 
to continue the particulars of the crucifixion of the un- 
happy son of Mary, who, widowed and childless, still 
remains with us, mourning over her dead son, my heart 
involuntarily shrinks from the painful subject, and bleeds 
afresh. But there is a fascination associated with all 
that concerns Him, even now that He is dead, and has 
proved himself as weak a mortal as other men, which 
urges me to write of Him, and which fills my thoughts 
only with Him. 

I have just alluded to his grief-smitten mother. Alas ! 
there is no consolation for her. Her loss is not like that 
of other mothers. Her son has not only been taken from 
her by death, but has died ignominiously on a Roman 
cross, executed between two vile malefactors, as if He 
himself were the greatest criminal of the three ; and not 
only this, but executed as a false prophet — as a deceiver 
of Israel — with a thousand glittering promises of Judea’s 
future glory through Him, on his lips ; which now, as 
his death proves, were vain promises, and that He made 
them for the temporary fame of drawing all men after 
Him. She thus mourns, not as other mothers, and re- 
fuses to be comforted. 

Yet her love for her son — that deathless maternal love, 
which seems immortal in its nature, is not buried with 
Him. She, with dearest Mary and Martha, have just 
gone out, secretly, before the Jews are astir, to pay the 
last duties to his dead body, ere we all depart for an 
asylum in Bethany. They have taken spices, myrrh, 
and aloes, and sweet herbs, for the purpose of enbalming 
the body ; for his mother hopes to get permission of Pi- 
late to remove it some time to Bethlehem, to be laid in 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


413 


the tomb of his fathers. Until they return from this sad 
mission of love, I will continue my subject — the cruci- 
fixion ! 

When the Centurion, to whom was committed, by 
Pilate, the charge of conducting the crucifixion of Jesus, 
gave orders to hind Him also to the cross, which lay 
upon the ground, like an altar awaiting its victim, the 
four Parthian soldiers, his brutal crucifiers, laid hold 
upon Him, and began to strip Him of his garments, for 
his enemies had put again on Him his own clothes, 
when they led Him out of the hall of Pilate. He wore 
a mantle, woven without seam by Mary and Martha, 
and which had been a present to Him by the sisters, as 
a token of their gratitude, for raising from the dead their 
brother Lazarus. 

When I saw them remove this robe, which was a 
visible attestation of his former power over death, I 
could not believe that He could be himself killed, but 
would yet break away, by some mighty miracle, from 
his foes, and scattering them like dust before the wind, 
proclaim himself, with power, the very Son of God ! 
But when I perceived that He stood, calmly and sor- 
rowfully, letting them do what they would, I lost all 
hope, and turned away weeping. His mother, supported 
by John, could no longer gaze upon her son, and was 
borne afar off, crying thrillingly : 

“ Oh let me not hear the crashing of the nails into 
his feet and hands ! My son — my son ! Oh, that thou 
wouldest now prove to thy mother that thou art a true 
Prophet !” 

“ What means this wailing?” cried the fierce Abner ; 
“ who is this woman ?” 


414 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


“ The mother of Jesus,” I answered indignantly. 

“ The mother of the blasphemer. Let her he ac- 
cursed !” he cried, in a savage tone ; (t thou seest, 
woman, what is the end of bringing up an impostor, to 
blaspheme Jehovah and the Temple. Thy hopes and 
his, 0 wretched woman, have this day miserably perish- 
ed ! So die all false Christs and false prophets ! Thou 
seest, if he were the Christ, he would not stand there, 
and be crucified, like a common malefactor 1” 

Mary buried her face in her hands, and wept on my 
shoulder. I could not look towards the place where 
Jesus stood. I dreaded to hear the first blow upon the 
dreadful nails, and as she stopped her ears, I would have 
closed mine also, but that my hands supported her. I 
could hear the awful preparations — the rattling of the 
hard cord, as they bound^Him to the cross, and the low, 
eager voices of the four busy Parthians ; and then the 
ringing of the spikes ; and then a silence like that of the 
grave ! Suddenly a blow of a hammer broke the mo- 
ment of suspense ! A shriek burst from the soul of the 
mother, that echoed far and wide among the tombs of 
G-olgotha ! 

I could see — hear no more ! 

John having left the stricken mother with me, he and 
Lazarus had gone back to where they were unrobing the 
Prophet, in order to bind Him to the wood. They caught 
the eyes of their Master, said Lazarus, who gazed upon 
them calmly and affectionately. They said they had 
never before beheld Him appear so majestic and great ! 
He looked, as the Centurion afterwards said, “ Like a 
god surrendering himself to death, for the safety of his 
universe !” 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


415 


“ Nothing hut the ferocious madness of the chief 
priests and Jews,” added John, a could have prevented 
them from being awed hy the majesty of his presence. 
And, besides, there sat upon his brow heroic courage, 
with a certain divine humility and resignation. Not 
the rough hands of the barbaric soldiers, not the indig- 
nity of being stripped before the eyes of thousands, not 
the sight of his cross, nor of the thieves, nailed and wri- 
thing on theirs, moved Him to depart, hy look or hearing, 
from that celestial dignity which, through all, had never 
left Him. 

“ He made no resistance,” continued John, who told 
me what follows, “ when bound upon the cross, but re- 
signed himself, passively, into the hands of his execu- 
tioners, like a lamb receiving its death, 1 Father,’ He 
said, raising his holy eyes to heaven, 1 forgive them, for 
they know not what they do.’ But his heroic soul could 
not prevent the natural emotions of humanity at pain. 
The piercing nails, rending his tender flesh, made it 
quiver, and caused Him to turn deadly pallid, while a 
deep sigh escaped his breast as He heard his mother’s 
shriek. Unlike the robber, He did not resist ; unlike the 
second, He did not steel himself to indifference ; hut He 
met his fate like a man who fears not death, yet does not 
brave it ! 

“ Great drops of sweat, when they nailed his feet to 
the wood, stood upon his forehead,” added John, who 
remained near, to see his Master die, and to comfort and 
strengthen Him ; “ and when the four men raised Him 
and the cross together from the earth, and let the end 
drop into a hole a foot deep, the shock, bringing his 
whole weight upon the nails in his hands, tore and lace- 


416 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


rated them, nearly dislocating the shoulders at the same 
time, while every sinew and muscle of his arms and 
chest was drawn out like cords, to sustain this unwonted 
weight upon them. The first thief fainted from pain, at 
the shock caused by the setting of his own cross ; and 
the second, cool and defiant as he had been, uttered a loud 
outcry of agony. But Jesus made no moan, though the 
unearthly pallor of his countenance showed how inex- 
pressible was his torture.” 

Ah, my dear father, I would draw a veil over this 
scene — for it is too — too painful for me to dwell upon. 
To the last, John believed his Master would not die — 
that He could not suffer ! But when He saw how that 
pain and anguish seized heavily upon Him, and how 
that He suffered like other men, without power to pre- 
vent it, he greatly wondered, and began to believe that 
all the miracles that he had seen Him perform must have 
been illusions. He could not reconcile the calmness and 
dignity, the heroic composure and air of innocence, with 
which He came to the cross, with imposture ; yet his 
death would, assuredly, seal as imposture all his previous 
career. 

The three crosses, that of Jesus in the midst, as the 
place of chief dishonor, being raised into the air, and 
fixed in the sockets of the rock, the Centurion command- 
ed the adjacent place to be cleared, and that the male- 
factors be left to die. Oh, what a fearful death for Je- 
sus ! for Him whom we knew so well, and whom we 
still loved, although He had deceived us. There, thought 
we, He may linger two or three days, dying slowly, as 
some have done, and exposed to the fierce sun by day, 
and the chilly winds of night, while above them hover, 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


417 


on steady wings, the savage birds of prey, impatient for 
their feast. With his mother we all now drew as near 
the cross as we were permitted to come. Jesus then 
turned his head towards his mother, and looking down 
with the profoundest tenderness and love upon her, com- 
mitted her to the filial care of the weeping John, who 
stood supporting her. 

Much of the residue of the account I have from John, 
who remained at the last close to the cross, while we 
retired and stood afar off*, with his weeping mother, 
Mary of Bethany, Martha, Lazarus, and Mary, the mother 
of Salome, and other women, our friends from Galilee, 
who also had hope in Jesus. There we waited, in ex- 
pectation of seeing Him do some mighty miracle from the 
cross, and descend unharmed, showing to the world, 
thereby, his title to he the Messias of God. 

The Centurion having placed a guard about the crosses, 
to keep the friends of the crucified from attempting their 
rescue, stood watching them. The soldiers, who had 
nailed Jesus to the tree, began now to divide, with noisy 
oaths, his garments among themselves, as well as those 
of the two thieves, these being, by the Roman law, the 
fee of the executioner. This division being made, after 
some time, but not without high talking, and drawing of 
their long Syrian knifes upon each other, they were at a 
loss what to do with the large mantle, without seam, 
which the sisters of Lazarus had woven for the friend of 
their once dead brother. A group of the Roman guard 
being seated near, astride upon the four arms of a fallen 
cross, playing at dice, suggested that the Parthian s should 
decide by lot whose it should be. This the latter con- 
sented to, and taking the dice-box in their bloody hands, 
18 * 


418 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


each of them threw thrice. The highest number fell to 
the most ferocious of the four fellows, who, taking the 
mantle, wrapped it about his huge form, and, pacing up 
and down before the people, said, in a loud voice, that 
he himself was a great magician, and asked, in his bro- 
ken, barbarous tongue, some of the Jews if they would 
like to have him prophecy and foretell their fortunes. 
At this they began to cry out upon him, and stone him, 
as a blasphemer — and but for the interposition of the 
Centurion, a tumult would have been made. - The soldier 
then proposed to sell the cloak, which John joyfully 
purchased of him at a great price, by means of the 
jewels of several of the women, who gladly took rings 
from their ears, and bracelets from their arms, I giving, 
dear father, the emerald which you bought for me at 
Cairo. But I could not see the robe, which Jesus had 
worn thus desecrated ; for still, oh, yes, still we loved 
Him, even in his death ! The mother of Jesus received 
the robe with deep emotions of gratitude to us all. But 
now, my dear father, how shall I describe the scenes and 
events that followed ? 

After Jesus had hung about an hour upon the cross, 
iEmilius came from Pilate, and bore the inscription, 
which it is usual to place above the heads of malefac- 
tors, showing their name, and the crime for which they 
are crucified. Above the head of Ishmerai was written, 
in Syriac : 

“ Ishmerai, the Edomite, 
u A Bobber.” 

Above that of Ormi was inscribed, also, on a leaf of 
parchment, in the same tongue, his name, and the nature 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


419 


of his crime, which was that of robbery and blood-shed- 
ding in a sedition in the city. 

Above the head of Jesus, by means of a small lad- 
der, was placed this inscription, in Greek, Latin, and 
Hebrew : 


“ This is Jesus, 

“ The King of the Jews.” 

When the wicked Abner read this, he turned angrily 
to the Centurion, and to iEmilius, who stood sadly near 
the cross : 

“ Write not, 0 Roman, that he is 1 King of the Jews,’ 
but that he said that he was King of the Jews !” 

“ I have placed above him what Pilate has ordered to 
be written,” answered the Centurion. 

Abner upon this mounted a mule, and hastened into 
the city to the Procurator, and laid his complaint before 
him. 

“ What I have written, I have written, sir priest,” we 
have heard that the Procurator coldly answered. 

“ But you, then, have crucified this man for being' our 
king, which we deny !” retorted Abner. 

“ I will take his word, before that of all the Jews in 
Caesar’s empire,” answered Pilate, angrily. “ He said 
he was a king ; and if ever a king stood before a human 
tribunal, T have had a true and very king before me to- 
day — and I have signed the warrant for his execution. 
But his blood be on your heads ! for I was compelled to 
do this deed or lose my Procuratorship ; for else you 
would have had me before Caesar as a traitor. Leave 
my presence, Jew ! Have I not, against my own con- 
victions of justice and humanity, consented to gratify 


420 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


your thirst for this innocent person’s blood ? What more 
do you demand ? Is he not hanged ? If you approach 
my presence more on this subject, by the gods of Rome 
I will crucify you, and ten score mQre ! I will pile a 
hecatomb to his manes !” 

Abner left his presence abashed, and returned to the 
place of crucifixion. The Jews, in the meanwhile, 
mocked Jesus, and wagged their heads at Him, and re- 
minded Him of his former miracles and prophecies. 

“ Thou that raisedst Lazarus, save thyself from death !” 
said a Pharisee. 

“ If thou art the Son of God, prove it by coming down 
from the cross !” cried the leader of the Sadducees, Eli. 

“ Thou, who saidst if a man kept thy sayings, he 
should never see death — let us see if thou canst avoid 
death thyself!” said Iddo, the chief of the Essenes. 

“ He saved others — himself he cannot save !” mocked 
Ezekias, one of the chief priests. 

iEmilius, finding it impossible to save the Prophet 
from crucifixion, had come out to guard Him from the 
usual insults of the rabble, while He was dying. He 
had now lost faith in Jesus as a Jewish Prophet, but 
he loved Him still, as a man, and pitied Him for his 
sufferings. He talked with Him, and earnestly prayed 
Him, as He hung, if He were indeed a god, to show his 
power ! Jesus at first made no reply ; but He shortly 
said, in a faint voice — 

“ I THIRST.” 

The generous knight ran and filled a sponge with the 
preparation of sour wine and hyssop, usually given to 
malefactors, after they have suffered awhile, in order to 
stupify them, and render them insensible to their suf- 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


421 


ferings. While iEmilius was affixing a sponge, clipped 
in this vessel of vinegar, upon a reed, split at the end to 
hold it firmly, Ishmerai, who all the while, as he hung, 
had uttered execrations upon his crucifiers, and upon 
Pilate, called, howling fiercely, to Jesus : 

“ If thou be the Son of God, save thyself and us ! If 
thou didst raise a man once from the dead, thou canst 
surely keep us from dying ! Thou art a vile wretch if 
thou hast power as a prophet, and will not use it for me, 
when thou seest how heavy I am of body, and how my 
great weight tortures me, with infernal racking and 
rending of every joint.” 

But Omri, rebuking his fellow, said : 

“ Dost thou not fear God, seeing thou art in the same 
condemnation ? We suffer justly for our- crimes, and to- 
day do receive the due reward of our transgressions ; but 
this young man hath done nothing amiss, save to preach 
against the wickedness of the priests, and for being holier 
than they. Lord, I believe that thou art the Son of God ! 
None but the Christ could do the works that thou hast 
done, or suffer patiently, as thou art doing. Lord, re- 
member me when thou comest into thy kingdom, for I 
know thou ‘wilt go from this, thy cross, to thy throne on 
high, and there reign for ever and ever. I have listened 
to thy teaching on the banks of Jordan, and now be- 
lieve.” 

Jesus turned his bleeding head towards him, and, 
with a smile of ineffable glory radiating his pale face, 
said : 

“ Yerily, I say unto thee, this day shalt thou be with 
me in Paradise.” 

Omri, upon this, looked inexpressibly happy, and 


422 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


seemed to rise superior to his sufferings. The other 
cursed the Prophet aloud, and gnashed at Him with his 
teeth, with looks of demoniacal hatred. 

At this moment iEmilius came near with his dripping 
sponge, and presented the reed upwards to the parched 
lips of the suffering Jesus. When He tasted it He would 
not drink, for He perceived it was the opiate which was 
usually administered in compassion, to shorten the an- 
guish of the crucified. 

The robber, Ishmerai, now eagerly cried for the ob- 
livious sponge, and the Prefect giving the reed to a sol- 
dier, the latter placed it to the mouth of the robber, 
whose swollen tongue protruded ! He drank of it with 
a sort of mad thirst. The other man, also, gladly as- 
suaged his burning fever with it, and soon afterwards 
both of them sunk into insensibility, hanging uncon- 
scious of their situation, and showing no other signs of 
life than the heavings of their chests, and, from time to 
time, the involuntary twitching of the muscles. But 
Jesus, retaining his senses in all their clearness, suffered 
all that such a fearful death imposes upon its victim. 

All at once, just as the sixth hour was sounded from 
the Temple, by the trumpets of the Levites, the cloud 
which, formed by the smoke of the numerous sacrifices, 
had hung all day above the Temple, was seen to become 
suddenly of inky blackness, and to advance towards 
Calvary, spreading and expanding in the most appalling 
manner, as it approached us ; and in a few minutes, not 
only all Jerusalem, but Calvary, the Valley of Kedron, 
the Mount of Olives, and all the country, were involved 
in its fearful darkness. The sun, which had before been 
shining with noonday brilliancy, became black as sack- 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


423 


cloth of hair, and a dreadful, unearthly, indescribable 
night overshadowed the world ! Out of the centre of 
the cloud, above the crosses, shot forth angry lightnings 
in every direction. But there was no thunder attending 
it — only a dead, sepulchral, suffocating silence ! 

Of the thousands who had been gazing upon the cru- 
cifixion, every one was now fallen prostrate upon the 
earth in terror ! Jerusalem was blotted out from our 
view ; only an angry spot of fire-red light, as it were the 
terrible eye of God itself, was visible above the Temple, 
over the place of the Holy of Holies. The crosses were 
no longer visible, save by the fearful shine of the light- 
nings, flashing fiercely from the dread and silent cloud. 
The form of Jesus, amid the universal gloom, shone as 
if divinely transfigured, and a soft halo of celestial light 
encircled his brow like a crown of glory ; while the dark 
bodies of the two robbers could scarcely be discerned, 
save by the faint radiance emanating from his own. 

The darkness continuing, many of the multitude at 
length ceased their moans, the beating of their breasts, 
and rending of their garments, and arose to their feet, 
but moved not ; for none could stir from his place, for 
the midnight depth of the gloom ! Men talked to each 
other in whispers ! An undefinable dread was upon 
each mind ; for the sudden overspreading of the dark- 
ness was as unaccountable as it was frightful. Mary, 
his mother, and Lazarus exclaimed with awe, both 
speaking together : 

“ This is his power. He has produced this miracle !” 

“And we shall behold Him next descend from the 
cross,” cried Rabbi Amos. “ Let us all take courage ; 
and let what dismays his enemies fill us with joyful ex- 
pectation.” 


424 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


Three hours — three long and awful hours, this super- 
natural light continued ; and all that while the vast 
multitude remained fixed, and moaning, waiting they 
knew not what ! At length the cloud parted above the 
cross, with a loud peal of thunder, while a shower of 
terrible lightnings fell, like lances of fire, all around the 
form of Jesus, which immediately lost its halo and its 
translucent radiance. His face, at the same time, be- 
came expressive of the most intense sorrow of soul, and 
He seemed, to all eyes, to he the central point of this 
fierce wrath of the heavens. 

A hundred voices exclaimed, with horror : 

“ See ! he is deserted, and punished by the Almighty !” 

We ourselves were amazed and appalled. Our rising 
hopes were blasted by the livid lightnings, which seemed 
to blast Him! Heaven, as well as man, seemed to war 
against Him! His mother gave utterance to a groan 
of agony, and sank upon the ground, satisfied that her 
sorvvvas truly accursed of God. At this moment, as if 
to confirm all our fears, He cried, in the Hebrew tongue, 
with a loud voice, that, in the deep silence, reached the 
ears even of the Roman guard on the citadel : 

“Eloi! Eloi! My God, my God, why hast Thou 
forsaken me ?” 

Upon this some, pitying his sufferings, ran to give 
him wine and hyssop, to deaden them. 

“ Nay, let him live — let us see if Elias will save him !” 
answered Abner. “ He calleth for Elisha the Prophet !” 

Suddenly the darkness, which had filled all the air, 
seemed now to concentrate, and gather about the cross, 
so that He, who hanged thereon, became invisible. 
From the midst of it his thrilling voice was once more 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


425 


heard, as clear and strong as it rang over the waters of 
G-alilee, when He preached from a boat to the thousands 
thronging to the shore : 

“ It is Finished ! Father , into thy hands I commend 
my spirit !” 

As He uttered these words, a supernatural glory shone 
around Him, and, with a deep sigh, He bowed his head 
upon his breast and gave up the ghost ! 

The general exclamation of surprise that followed 
these clear trumpet- tones, was suddenly checked by a 
terrible trembling of the earth beneath our feet, so that 
vast numbers of people were cast down ; the rocks of 
Calvary were rent, and thrown upwards, while the whole 
city shook with the convulsive throes of an earthquake. 
The Temple seemed on fire, and above its pinnacle ap- 
peared a flaming sword, which seemed to us to cleave 
the walls to their foundations ; and while we. looked, 
the sword changed into the shape of a cross, of dazzling 
light, standing high in the air, over the Altar ; and from 
its golden beams poured rays so bright, that all Jerusa- 
lem, and the hill country, for a wide extent, became as 
light as noon-day. The ground still continued to rock, 
and the sepulchres of the kings, with the tombs of an- 
cient prophets, were riven by vast chasms, and the green 
earth was strewn with the bones and bodies of the dead. 
The dark cloud, which had begun to form first with the 
smoke of the sacrifices of the Temple, was now dissipa- 
ted by the light of the fiery cross, and the sun reappear- 
ed. Before it the glorious vision over the Temple gradu- 
ally faded out and disappeared. The natural order of 
things gradually returned ; and men, smiting their 
breasts, began to move towards the city, filled with awe 


126 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


and dread at what they had witnessed. The Centurion, 
who stood watching these fearful things, said, aloud, to 
iEmilius : 

“ This man spake the truth. He was a God !” 

“ Truly,” responded iEmilius, “ this was none other 
than the Son of God — the very Christ of the Jewish Pro- 
phets. All things in the air and on the earth sympa- 
thize with his death, as if the God of nature had ex- 
pired.” 

Sad and weeping, we left the dismal scene, hanging 
our heads in despondency, having, even while wonder- 
ing at these mighty events connected with his crucifixion, 
abandoned, forever, all hope that this was Pie, who should 
have redeemed our nation, and restored the royal splen- 
dor of Judah, and the throne of the house of David. 

I am, my dear father, your loving daughter, 

Adina. 


LETTER XXXVI. 

Jerusalem — Third Morning after the Crucifixion. 
My Dearest Father : 

I closed the last letter but to resume, in another, the 
sad narrative which I have been writing to you. It is 
now half an hour to sunrise, and as the party which 
went to the sepulchre has not yet returned, I will still 
continue my painfully interesting subject. The mother 
of Jesus, who I thought went with the two Marys and 
Martha, remained at home, unable to bear the sight of 
her dead son. 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


42 ? 


On the day on which the wonderful events took place, 
which I have detailed at large in my last letter, that day 
which can never, for its signs and wonders, he forgotten 
in Jerusalem, the chief priests, at the head of whom was 
Annas, met Pilate as he was riding forth from the city, 
attended by a score of men-at-arms, to survey the deep 
rents made by the earthquake, and to hear from the 
mouths of all the people the particulars of the marvels 
which attended the crucifixion of Jesus. When they 
came near him, they besought him that he would com- 
mand his soldiers to take down the bodies, as the next 
day was a high-day, and that it was contrary to their 
cu'stoms to have criminals executed or left hanging on 
that day. 

“ What think ye ?” demanded Pilate, reining up and 
soothing his Syrian war-horse, which, startled at the 
dead bodies that lay near, (for they were crossing the 
place of the opened tombs,) had for some time tramped 
and plunged madly : “ What think ye, priests ! Have 
ye crucified a man or a god ? We think these mighty 
wonders tell us that he was more than a man ! All na- 
ture sympathizes with his death ! The sun veiled his 
brightness, the heavens clad themselves in mourning, 
Jove sent forth angry lightnings ; and the earth herself 
heaved and rocked as if sharing the universal woe !” 

The priests looked troubled, and seemed unable to 
answer : but Tereh, the chief priest of the house of 
Mariah, answered, and said : 

“ My lord, these were wonderful phenomena, but they 
would have happened if this Nazarene had not died! 
Here is a famous astrologer from Arabia, who studies 
the skies, who says that this darkness was caused by 


428 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


an eclipse of the sun ! The dark cloud was hut the 
smoke of the sacrifices, while the earthquake -was hut a 
natural and usual occurrence !” 

“ Stay, sir priest,” answered Pilate ; “ we at Rome, 
though called barbarians by you polished Jews, have 
some scholarship in astrology. We know well that an 
eclipse of the sun can take place only when the moon is 
new ! It is to-day, on this eve of the High Day, at its 
full, and will to-night rise nearly opposite the sun ! It 
was no eclipse, sir priest, and thy Arabian is a false as- 
trologer. These events occurred because that divine man, 
your king, has been executed.” 

“ Why not for the two robbers as well?” demanded 
Abner, with an incredulous sneer on his lip. 

Pilate made no reply, and was riding on, when Tereh, 
in behalf of the chief priests, asked permission of him 
to have the bodies of the crucified removed from the 
crosses and buried. 

“ They cannot be yet dead, since it is only seven 
hours since they were nailed to the cross,” said Pilate ; 
“ I will see for myself.” 

Thus speaking, the Roman Procurator spurred on 
towards the place, followed by his body guard ; now 
avoiding an open grave ; now leaping one of the 
freshly opened chasms ; now turning aside from some 
body cast up by the earthquake. When he came in 
front of the crosses, he saw that Jesus hung as if dead, 
while the thieves still breathed, and from time to 
time heaved groans of anguish, although partly insensi- 
ble from the effects of the opiate which had been ad- 
ministered to them. 

“ Think you, Romulus, that he has any life in him ?” 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


429 


asked Pilate, in a subdued tone of voice, gazing sorrow- 
fully, and with looks of self-reproach, upon the drooping 
form of his victim. 

“ He is dead an hour ago,” answered the Centurion. 
“ He expired when the earthquake shook the city, and 
the flaming sword was unsheathed in the air above the 
Temple ! It was a fearful sight, sir, and the more won- 
derful to see it change in the shape of a cross of fire. I 
fear, sir, we have crucified one of the gods in the shape 
of a man. 

“ It would appear so, Centurion,” answered Pilate, 
shaking his head. “ I would it had not been done ! But 
’tis past ! The Jews desire their bodies to be removed 
before their great Sabbath. Caesar’s orders are that 
they shall be humored always in all things touching their 
religion, which do not militate against the Imperial 
laws. Let them have their desire. The robbers are not 
yet dead !” 

“ Nearly so. I will break their legs and remove 
their bodies, your excellency,” answered the Centu- 
rion. 

Pilate then turned his horse and rode slowly and sadly 
away from the spot. Romulus then gave orders to his 
soldiers to remove the bodies. One of them with a bat- 
tle-axe approached the robber Omri, and at two blows 
broke his knees. With a shudder that shook the cross, 
he ceased to move. The first blow upon the limbs of 
Ishmerai, caused him to open his eyes and to growl a half- 
intelligible execration ; but at the second stroke his huge 
head fell upon his hairy chest, and muttering a* curse 
upon his executioners, he the next moment hung there 
dead ! When the soldiers came to Jesus they saw that 
He was already dead ! 


430 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


u Let us not break his legs,” said one to the other, 
“ it were sacrilege to mar such a manly form.” 

“ Yet, we must insure his death ere he can he taken 
away,” responded the other. “ I will pierce him to make 
sure !” 

Thus speaking, the soldier directed his spear to the 
side of Jesus, and cleaved the flesh to his heart. John, 
who stood near, and saw and heard all, upon seeing this 
done, bowed his head to the earth in total abandonment 
of hope ! Until that moment he had believed that 
Jesus would revive and descend from the cross ; for to 
the last all our faith in his power to save himself was 
firm, though greatly tried when we saw Him in the 
hands of the Roman soldiers. Even when we beheld 
Him nailed to the cross we did not give up hope, for 
we had all seen Him raise Lazarus dead, and felt that 
He could free himself from the cross alive also ; and, 
although after the earthquake, we left the hill and re- 
turned, sorrowing and smiting our breasts, into the 
city, we often lingered and looked back to where He 
hung, expecting to see Him descend from it, and pro- 
claim himself, by such a mighty miracle, the Son of 
Grod. John, first having delivered the mother of Jesus 
to our care, remained with many of the women and 
others who had loved and followed Him, long watching 
Him, expecting some great event. 

But when the unhappy disciple saw the Roman spear 
pierce his side, his own heart seemed to be pierced also 
Hope perished forever ! Jesus was dead — dead , and 
thus proved that He was not the Christ of G-od whom 
He had proclaimed himself to be! Yet his emotions 
were not of anger, but of sorrow ; for he had greatly 
loved Him. 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


431 


When he raised his head to gaze upon his crucified 
Master, he saw flowing from the rent in his side two 
fountains together, one of crimson "blood, and lo ! the 
other of crystal water ! He could not believe what he 
saw, until the soldiers and the Centurion expressed aloud 
their wonder at such a marvel. 

u Never was such a man crucified before,” exclaimed 
the Centurion. “ He is without doubt one of the Im- 
mortal gods, and therefore have the heavens and earth 
been moved with amazement at the deed !” 

When John saw that Jesus was indeed quite dead, and 
all hope of his restoration to life destroyed, he drew near, 
and asked permission of the Centurion to be allowed to 
have the body ; for he had promised the mourning mother 
of the dead son that he would recover it, if possible, for 
sacred burial. But the Centurion, though a kind and 
generous man, answered that he could deliver the body 
to no man without an order signed by the Procurator’s 
own hand. 

Upon this, John, after getting the promise of the 
Centurion that the body should not be taken down 
until his return, ran rapidly towards the city to ask 
the consent of Pilate. But in the meanwhile, Rabbi 
Joseph, the counselor of Arimathea, whom, my dear 
father, you have, many years ago, well known to be 
a man of probity and honor, and who stands high in 
favor with Pilate, met the G-overnor as he was skirt- 
ing the wall of the city with his cohort, and asked 
him if, after Jesus should be pronounced to be dead, 
he might take down the body and give it sepulchre. 
Pilate did not hesitate to give his ready consent to this 
request, and taking from his purse a small signet en- 


432 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


graved with his cipher, he placed it in the hands of the 
rich Rabbi. 

“ Go and receive the body of this wonderful man,” he 
said. “ Methinks thou art one who knew him well. 
What thinkest thou of him, Rabbi ?” Joseph perceived 
that Pilate asked the question with deep interest, seem- 
ingly very greatly troubled in mind, and he answered 
him boldly : 

“ I believe that He was a Prophet sent from G-od, your 
excellency, and that to-day has died on Calvary the most 
virtuous, the wisest, and the most innocent man in Caesar’s 
empire.” 

“ My conscience echoes your words,” answered 
Pilate, gloomily ; and putting spurs to his horse, he 
galloped forward in the direction of the Gethsemane 
Gardens. 

John, therefore did not see Pilate ; but on returning 
from the city, weary and disappointed, he met the ruler, 
Nicodemus, who, attended by one of his Gibeonite slaves, 
was hastening into town to purchase spices and linen to 
wrap the body in, as our manner is to bury. From him 
John learned with great joy, how that Rabbi Joseph had 
seen Pilate and obtained from him permission to take 
down and remove the body. 

When John reached the cross, he found that Joseph, 
by the aid of Lazarus, Simon Peter, Mary, Martha, and 
Rabbi Amos, had taken it out of the socket in the rock, 
with its precious burden, and gently laid it upon the 
ground with the body still extended upon it. With 
many tears and lamentations they drew forth the copper 
spikes from the torn hands and bleeding feet, and with 
water from a pool near at hand, washed the precious 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


433 


blood away, and wrapped the alabaster limbs in the 
spices and white linen which NlSodemus presently ar- 
rived with. 

The bodies of the robbers in the meanwhile were taken, 
or rather torn down by the soldiers, and cast together into 
one of the yawning chasms rent by the earthquake, and 
covered by fragments of stone, which the soldiers, assisted 
by some of the baser Jews who still lingered about the 
place, cast down upon them. It was a great favor ob- 
tained from Pilate not to have the body of Jesus cast into 
the pits also. 

In the still, holy twilight of that dread day, the west 
all shadowy gold and mellow light, the air asleep, 
and a sacred silence reigning in heaven and on earth, 
they bore away from the hill of death the body of the 
dead Prophet. The shoulders of Nicodemus, of Peter, 
of Lazarus, and of John, gently sustained the loving 
weight of Him they once honored above all men, 
and whom, though proved by his death, as they be- 
lieved, to have fatally deceived himself as to his Di- 
vine Mission as the Christ, they still loved for his sor- 
rows so patiently borne, for his virtues so vividly 
remembered. 

Slowly the little group wound their way along the 
rocky surface of Grolgotha, the last to leave that fearful 
place in the coming darkness. Their measured tread, 
their low whispers, the subdued wail of the women who 
followed the rude bier of branches, the lonely path they 
trode, all combined to render the spectacle one of touch* 
ing solemnity. The shades of evening were gathering 
thick around them. They took secret ways for fear of 
the Jews. But some that met them turned aside with 
19 


434 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


awe when they knew what corpse was borne along ; for 
the impression of the appalling scenes of the day had not 
yet wholly passed away from their minds. At length they 
reached a gate in the wall of the garden attached to the 
noble abode of the wealthy Rabbi Joseph, who went be- 
fore, and with a key unlocked it, and admitted them into 
the secluded enclosure. Here the thickness of the foliage 
of olive and fig trees created complete darkness ; for by 
this time the evening star was burning like a lamp in 
the roseate west. They rested the bier upon the pave- 
ment beneath the arch, and awaited in silence and dark- 
ness the appearance of torches which Rabbi Joseph had 
sent for to his house. The servants bearing them were 
soon seen advancing, the flickering light from the flam- 
beaux giving all things visible by it a wild aspect, in 
keeping with the hour. 

“ Follow me,” said Joseph, in a low voice, that was full 
charged with great sorrow, as the servants preceded him 
with their torches. 

The sad bearers of the dead body of Jesus raised their 
sacred burden from the ground, and trode onward, their 
measured foot-falls echoing among the aisles of the gar- 
den. At its farther extremity, where the rock hangs 
beetling over the valley, and forms at this place the 
wall of the garden, was a shallow flight of stone 
steps leading to a new tomb hewn out of the rock. 
It had been constructed for the Rabbi himself, and had 
just been completed, and in it no man had ever been 
laid. 

The torches flashed brightly upon its massive door, 
and upon a dark cypress tree, the branches of which 
drooped in majestic gloom around it. It seemed the very 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. • 435 


temple and shrine of death, so secluded — so solemn — so 
funereal was all ! 

The servants, by command of Joseph, rolled back 
the stone, and exposed the dark vault of the gaping 
sepulchre, 

*“ How is it, most worthy Rabbi,” said a Roman Cen- 
turion, suddenly apprizing them of his presence by his 
voice, “ that you bury thus with honor a man who has 
proved himself unable to keep the dazzling promises he 
has allured so many of you with ?” 

All present turned with surprise at seeing not only the 
Centurion, but half a score of men-at-arms, on whose 
helmets and cuirasses the torches brightly gleamed, march- 
ing across the grass towards the spot. 

“ What means this intrusion, Roman ?” asked Rabbi 
Joseph. 

“ I am sent hither by command of the Procurator,” 
answered the Centurion ; “ the chief Jews have had an 
interview with him, informing him that the man .whom 
he had crucified had foretold that after three days he 
would rise again. They, therefore, asked a guard to 
be given them to place over the sepulchre till the third 
day, lest his disciples secretly withdraw the body, 
and report that their master is risen. Pilate, therefore, 
has commanded me to keep watch to-night with my 
men.” 

While the Centurion was speaking, several of the 
priests whom Joseph knew drew near, bearing torches ; 
and also a company of women, relatives of Joseph 
and Mary, who had heard where they were entomb- 
ing the body, came to see the place wherein He was 
laid. 


436 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


“ We bury Him with this deference and respect, Cen- 
turion,” answered Rabbi Joseph, “ because we believe 
Him to have been deceived, not a deceiver. He was 
gifted by Grod with vast power, and therefore doubtless 
believed He could do all things. He was too holy, wise, 
and good to deceive. He has fallen a victim to his 
own wishes for the weal of Israel which were impossi- 
ble by man to be realized. We do this honor to the 
memory of one whom to know was to love, even though 
we are disappointed in seeing Him establish the kingdom 
in Judah.” 

The body of Jesus, wrapped in its shroud of spotless 
linen, and surrounded by the preserving spices of Arabia, 
was then borne into the tomb, and laid reverently upon 
the table of stone which Joseph had prepared for bis own 
last resting-place. By the light of the torches all pres- 
ent took a last look of the body, even the women of 
Gralilee also, and ere they closed the tomb, Mary of 
Bethany, her sister Martha, and Lazarus, also appeared, 
to gaze a tearful farewell upon the' immovable, calm 
features of the dead Prophet ; for a Prophet, since the 
remarkable phenomenon attending his death, we are all 
now assured He must have been ; and that we have 
wholly misunderstood, from their divine depths, many 
of his sayings and prophecies concerning himself ! Simon 
Peter was the last to quit the side of the body, by which 
he knelt as if he would never leave it, shedding all the 
while great tears of bitter grief. John only, at last, 
drawing him gently forth, enabled the Centurion and 
soldiers to close the heavy door of the tomb. Having 
secured it evenly by revolving it in its sockets, the signet- 
bearer of the Procurator, who had come with the soldiers, 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


437 


placed a mass of wax, melted by a torch, upon each side 
of it over the crevices, and stamped each with the Im- 
perial signet, which to break is death ! 

The Jews which were present, seeing that the sepul- 
chre was thus made sure by the sealing of the stone, 
and by the setting of the vigilant Roman watch of 
eighteen men, took their departure. Rabbi Joseph, 
Nicodemus, and the rest of the friends of Jesus, then 
slowly retired, leaving a sentinel pacing to and fro be- 
fore the tomb, and others grouped about beneath the 
trees or on the steps of the sepulchre, playing at their 
favorite game of dice, or gazing upon the broad moon, 
conversing, or singing their native Italian airs ; yet with 
their arms at hand, ready to spring to their feet at the 
least alarm or word of alert. The tall, mailed figure of 
the Centurion, standing motionless, leaning upon the 
hilt of his long, straight sword, in a meditative attitude 
by the tomb, was at length shut out from the view of 
the retiring disciples, by the angle in the path which 
turned in the direction of the gate. 

(Something fearful must this instant have happened, 
for the house has just shaken as if with an earthquake 
"What can be the meaning of these wonders ?) 

Such, my dear father, is the history of the arrest, 
trial, judgment, crucifixion, death, and burial of the 
mighty Nazarene Prophet. It is now nearly day-break, 
and I am not weary writing you on so great a subject. 
I have been thus particular, not only to enable you to 
see, as if you had been present at all that passed, but 
at the request of my uncle, Rabbi Amos, and also to 
give vent to my own fullness of emotion. It was due 
to myself, who have believed in Him so firmly, to show 


438 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


that, although He was crucified and is dead, the extra- 
ordinary events which accompanied his crucifixion at- 
tested that He was more than a man, if not the true 
Messias ; and that, therefore, there is excuse not only 
for me, for being his disciple, hut for all others who fol- 
lowed Him. You can also perceive, my dear father, 
from the honorable manner in which He was buried by 
the eminent counsellor, Rabbi Joseph, of Arimathea, 
that He was deemed by him innocent of any crime wor- 
thy of such a death ; and that he believed Him to have 
been deceived, rather than a deceiver. 

It is this view of his character, combined with his 
patience, his dignity, his forbearance, his air of divine 
innocence on his trial, which makes us all still think 
and talk of Him with tenderness and tears. All that 
remains to us of Him is his body, and to this we have 
paid the homage of our reverential affection. 

This morning Mary and Martha, with others, have 
gone to visit his tomb in Joseph’s garden, (as I have 
already said,) for the purpose of enbalming it ; and on 
their return we are to go to Bethany for a few days, 
until the violent hostility of the Jews to his followers 
subsides. The Procurator is daily looking for four legions 
of Roman soldiers from Syria, as a reinforcement, when 
he will be able to protect us, and maintain completely 
the supremacy of the Roman power. Oh, that these 
forces had been here on the day of the crucifixion, for 
then, says Rabbi Amos, Pilate, conscious of military 
strength, would have acted freely, and saved Jesus from 
the hands of his foes. 

I hear now the voices of Mary and Martha, in the 
court of the street, returning from the tomb. They aro 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


439 


pitched to a wild note of joy ! What can mean the com- 
motion — the exclamations — the running and shouting 
all through the corridors and court ? I must close, and 
fly to learn what new terror or wonder has occurred. 

In haste, your affectionate daughter, 

Adina. 


LETTER XXXVII. 

Jerusalem. , First Day of the Week. 

Father, my Dear Father : 

How shall I make known to you, in words, the mar- 
vellous, joyous, happy, happy, and most wonderful news 
which I have to tell ? My heart heats, my hand trem- 
bles with rapture, while a sense of profound awe im- 
presses all my soul. Jesus is alive ! Jesus has risen 
from the dead ! Jesus has proved himself to be the 
Son of G-od ! 

Oh, now we know that Jesus is, indeed, the Messias 
who should cornel Oh, that I could have doubted! 
Alas ! that I should have written to you such words of 
disbelief and of doubt, and have thought Him in my 
heart a deceiver! But I have seen Him! seen Him , 
dear father, and He has forgiven me ! None of us un- 
derstood his words, which He spake to us before his 
crucifixion, concerning his death, and hence all our con- 
sternation and despair. But now we clearly perceive 
the meaning of all, and are amazed at our dullness and 
disbelief. His death, to our benighted apprehensions, 
seemed the seal to a life of falsehood ! — proof that He 


440 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


was a false prophet, rather than of his being the Son of 
God, now clearly proven by. his resurrection from the 
dead ! 

I can scarcely hold my pen for joy and wonder, or col- 
lect my thoughts, for very amazement, at what has trans- 
pired. But I will try and calm my emotions, in order, 
my dear father, to make known to you the mighty events 
which have come to pass to-day. 

My last letter to you abruptly Closed, as I was inter- 
rupted by loud exclamations of gladness, and great con- 
fusion of running and calling, in the courts and corridors 
below. Upon hearing my name called by Mary, and 
others, in eager, joy-trembling tones, I hastened to go 
down. On reaching the staircase I met my cousin as- 
cending, almost flying. Wonder, love, and happiness 
inexpressible, beamed from her beautiful countenance. 
Meeting me, she threw her arms about my neck, and 
essayed to utter something ! But her heart was too full, 
and bursting into sobs, she wept convulsively upon my 
bosom, in an ecstacy of delirious joy. 

Amazed and confounded, not knowing what had hap- 
pened, I held her to my heart, and tried to soothe her 
emotion. The voice of Martha now reached my ears 
from the foot of the stairs, talking rapidly to Rabbi 
Amos, who answered her with loud exclamations'! 

“ What — oh, what hath happened ? Speak, dear 
Mary !” I asked, unable to wait longer in suspense. 

She raised her head, and through her tears and smiles, 
at length said, brokenly : 

“ He — He — is — risen — oh, He is risen from the 
tomb /” 

“ Who?” I cried, half believing, yet doubting. 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


441 


“ The Lord ! Our Mighty Master — Jesus — the very 
Son of God, the Blessed ! He is alive , Adina !” 

“ You have seen a vision, or your grief at his death, 
Mary, has shaken your reason,” I answered her. 

Upon this she released herself from my arm, and fixing 
upon me her large, earnest eyes, said : 

“ Adina, he not faithless, hut believing. Jesus is 
risen from the dead. He lives ! I have seen Him — 
He has spoken to Mary of Bethany, Lazarus’ sister, and 
also to me ! Oh, joy, joy ! He is the very Son of the 
Highest, and we have not been deceived ; hut, oh, we 
have been blind, and deaf, andUgnorant, not to have 
understood that He must die, and rise again the third 
day ! Come — delay not! I have flown into the city to 
tell thee ; and Mary has told Peter and John, whom she 
met at the door, and who, doubting, as thou hast done, 
have run to see if these things be so. They will find 
the sepulchre empty. Haste to go with us !” 

While, overwhelmed with wonder, and trembling with 
joy, I was preparing to accompany her, Martha appeared, 
her face radiant with celestial happiness : 

“ You have heard the tidings of great joy, 0 Adina ?” 

“ Can they be true, Martha?” I asked, earnestly. 

“ Yes, for I have seen Him walking, heard his voice, 
and touched Him ! You, also, shall see Him, for He 
path sent us to tell his disciples.” - 

I wept for joy ! 

At the gateway we met Mary of Bethany, who had 
been telling John and Peter the news, and had also 
made it known to Rabbi Amos and Mcodemus. They 
were all talking sorrowfully together in the court 
upon the crucifixion, when she burst in upon them 

19 * 


442 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


with the cries I had heard — “ He is risen — He is 
risen!” 

We three now hastened together towards the garden of 
Joseph, I wishing my feet wings, that I might reach the 
sepulchre sooner, fearing that the vision of Jesus would 
he vanished ere I arrived. As we were going out of the 
gate, we were met hy four or five Roman soldiers, who, 
with aspects stamped with fear, were running past us into 
the city. 

“ What means this flight and terror, men?” cried the 
captain of the gate. u You fly as if you were in full re- 
treat from an enemy. Speak, Marius, you seem to have 
your senses !” he demanded of the youngest of the soldiers, 
an officer under a Centurion. 

We paused to hear what he said. 

“ Per Dian, captain — we have been terrified beyond 
measure,” answered the soldier. “ My heart beats yet, 
as if it were an alarum-drum. You see, we were a part 
of the guard left in chars^ of the sepulchre of this Jew- 
ish Prophet, crucified three days ago. Before dawn this 
morning, as I was pacing to and fro before the tomb, 
and my comrades were reclining about at ease, and 
while I was idly gazing at the morning-star, fading into 
the dawn, there suddenly shone around about us a light, 
like a descending meteor, accompanied by a rushing, as 
if of a legion of wings. The men started to their feet in 
amazement ! On looking about us I saw a dazzling 
form, in the mid heavens, with broad wings of gold, 
sparkling with myriads of stars, every feather a star, 
and clad in raiment white and gleaming as the summer’s 
lightning. This terrible presence, like that of one of 
the Dii Immortales, made us fear exceedingly, beyond 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


443 


any terror \ve had before experienced. But when we 
saw this mighty being descend straight towards the 
tomb, and beheld the resplendent majesty of his celestial 
visage, which blinded us, our hearts failed within us. 
The angel, or god, alighted amid a blaze of radiance at 
the door of the sepulchre ; and as his foot touched the earth 
it trembled, as if with a great earthquake. The soldiers 
shook with terror, and fell to the ground, before his 
presence, as dead men. I stood, unable to move, frozen 
by fear to a statue. He touched the great stone-door 
with one of his fingers, and it rolled outward at his feet, 
as if a catapult had struck it, and, like Jove taking his 
throne, he sat upon it ! 

u But one thing more,” continued the soldier, “ was 
wanting to fill my cup of terror to the full. And it fol- 
lowed. I saw the crucified Prophet rise up from the slab 
on which he was laid, and stand upon his feet, and walk 
forth alive, with the tread of some mighty conqueror ! 
The celestial being, so terrible in his majestic splendor, 
veiled his face with his wings before his presence, and 
prostrated himself at his feet, as if in homage to one 
greater than himself ! 

“ I saw no more, but fell insensible with terror, to the 
earth. When, at length, I came to myself, the tomb was 
filled with dazzling forms of resplendent beauty ; the 
air rang with music, such as mortals never before heard ; 
and I fled, pursued by my fears, the rest of the soldiers 
rising and following me, each man fearing to look back, 
but bewildered we lost our way.” 

“ This is indeed marvellous,” answered the captain 
of the gate ; “ I saw the light, and felt the tremor of 
the earth; but I thought it was a thunderbolt which 


444 


1IIE PKINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


had struck the ground near Calvary Go, let the 
Prefect iEmilius, or Pilate himself, know what has hap- 
pened.” 

The soldiers hurried forward into the city ; while, 
confirmed now in the certainty that Jesus was risen, 
I hastened, with Martha and Mary, in the direction of 
the garden. 

“ Thou helievest now , Adina ?” said Mary of Bethany, 
to me, as we flew along. 

“ Yes — only let me behold Him face to face, and I 
shall then he willing, at that hour, to meet death. How 
did the risen Lord look, Mary ?” I asked. 

“ There was the same benign and holy expression — 
the same divine majesty, the same loving words, and 
celestial dignity.” 

“ How and where did you behold Him, Mary ?” I 
interrogated, as we drew near to the steep path leading 
to the gate of Joseph’s garden. 

“ When we reached the tomb, with our spices and 
precious ointments, to embalm the body, we found it 
open, and the soldiers, who had guarded it, lying about 
upon the ground like dead men.- Upon the stone sat the 
archangel, but the resplendent light of his apparel and 
countenance was so tempered to our eyes, that, although 
we believed that it was an angel, we were not terrified, 
for his looks were serene, and the aspect of his face di- 
vinely beautiful, combined with a terrible and indescri- 
bable majesty. We shook with fear, and stood still, 
unable to move, gazing on him in silent expectation. 

“ ‘ Fear not,’ he said in a voice that seemed to fill the 
air about us with undulating music, 4 fear not, daughters 
of Abraham. I know that ye seek Jesus, which was 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


445 


crucified ! He, is not here, hut is risen, as He foretold. 
Lo! see the place where the Lord of Life, and Conqueror 
of Death, hath lain !’ ” 

“ "We then timidly approached, and looked in, and saw 
the sepulchre empty ; but a soft light filled the whole 
place. 

“ 6 Go and tell his disciples, that the Lord is risen,’ 
added the angel ; ‘ and that he will go before them into 
Galilee. There shall they see him not many days 
hence !’ 

“When the angel had thus spoken to us,” continued 
Mary, “ we departed quickly from the sepulchre with 
fear and great joy, and ran to go into the city, to bring 
his disciples word, according to the command of the 
angel. But I had not advanced so far as the gate of the 
garden, being behind the rest, when I beheld Jesus him- 
self standing in my path. I stopped, between terror and 
joy. 

“ ‘ All hail ! daughter of Israel,’ he said. 4 Be not 
afraid. I am living, that was dead ! It was needful 
that I should die, and rise again, that I might raise up 
from the dead all who die in me, to life immortal. Go, 
Mary, and tell my mother and my brethren, and Peter, 
and John, and Lazarus, that I am risen, and that I have 
spoken with you. Behold my wounded hands, that it 
is I myself ! Be not afraid ! I am the resurrection and 
the life !’ 

“ I then cast myself at his feet, and worshipped him 
with awe ; and when I again looked up, he was gone. 

“ The others did not see him. We now continued on 
to the city, as if we had wings ; yet, rapidly as we went, 
some of the same Roman watch whom we met. coming 


446 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


in just now, passed us, in their flight and alarm ; for 
they fled at first in different parties, different ways. But 
see ! we are now at the gate of the garden,” added Mary 
of Bethany, in a low tone of awe. “ He must be near 
us.” 

But we approached the tomb without seeing any man, 
having arrived before Peter and John, who had been de- 
layed sometime at the Jaffa gate — which route they took, 
as being nighest ; but it was not opened when they 
reached it, and they were detained. We, therefore, 
found no one at the sepulchre. It was open, and empty. 
The stone in front, on which the archangel sat, was va- 
cant. As we drew near, a bright light suddenly shone 
out from the tomb ; and upon going nigher I beheld two 
angels, clothed in white robes, and with countenances of 
Divine radiance, seated, one at the head, and, the other 
at the foot of the slab of marble, on which the body of 
Jesus had lain. At the sight of these noble and beau- 
tiful beings, which we knew were sons of God, come 
down from heaven, we were affrighted. I sank upon 
the stone which had been rolled away, and remained * 
without power of motion. 

“ Be not afraid, daughters of Jerusalem,” said one of 
the angels, speaking to us in the Hebrew tongue ; “ He 
whom ye seek, liveth — and dieth no more ! He is risen 
from the tomb, which could not hold him but through 
his consent ; for Jesus is Lord of Life, and Victor over 
Death and Hell, forevermore ! Go your way, and tell 
his disciples that He awaits them by the seaside ” 

The angels then vanished from our sight ; and at the 
same moment John and Peter came running, and seeing 
the stone rolled away, John stooped down, and looked in, 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


447 


and said that He saw the linen clothes in which the 
body of Jesus had been wrapped, lying folded together, 
and also the napkin which had been bound about his 
head. Peter now coming up, breathless with eagerness 
and haste, no sooner saw the tomb open, than He went 
boldly in, and carefully examined all for himself. He then 
called to John, who also went in, and both were com 
vinced that their Lord had indeed risen from the dead ; 
and when we made known to them what the angels had 
said to us, that Jesus would go before, and meet them 
in Galilee, they rejoiced greatly, and shortly afterwards 
departed, to hasten into Galilee, no longer doubting, but 
believing. I also returned with them, to convey the 
news to Mary, the mother of Jesus, who had not left the 
house, and scarcely her couch, in her great sorrow, since 
the day of the crucifixion. Mary of Bethany, however, 
remained, lingering near the tomb, hoping that Jesus 
had not yet left the garden, and that she might once 
more behold Him. 

Seated upon the steps of the tomb, weeping for joy at 
his resurrection, and wishing once more to behold Him, 
she heard a footstep behind her, and, turning round, saw 
# a man standing near her. It was Jesus himself, and 
kneeling, she was about to clasp his feet, when He said 
to her : 

“ Touch me not, Mary. I am not yet ascended to my 
Father. But go and tell Lazarus, and my brethren, - 
and my mother, that I ascend, ere many days, unto my 
Father and your Father, and unto my God and your 
God.” 

Jesus then vanished out of her sight ; and she came 
and told all these things to us, and to the disciples ; and 


448 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID. 


we all believed, never more to doubt, that Jesus was 
Messias and Christ, the immortal Son of the Blessed ! 
Such joy as filled the bosoms of his friends was never 
before experienced by human beings. Our happiness 
and exultation now were in proportion to our depression 
before his resurrection. 

But what pen can describe, my dear father, the amaze- 
ment and consternation of Caiaphas, and the chief priests, 
and the rest of his enemies ! The soldiers who had 
kept guard of the sepulchre had entered the city by dif- 
ferent ways, and spread the report of the mighty miracle 
of the resurrection through every principal street in Je- 
rusalem, as they fled along it. 

Caiaphas hearing the uproar, sprang from his couch 
to inquire the cause, and on being assured by his ser- 
vants, that “ Jesus had burst his tomb and risen alive 
from the dead !” he quaked, and became deadly pale. 
But he soon rallied, and sending for two or three of the 
soldiers, who were describing vividly what they had wit- 
nessed to a large concourse in the street, he questioned 
them closely upon the facts. The soldiers’ testimony 
agreed together, and could not be gainsayed. 

When Pilate received the account from the Centurion* 
of the guard, he said : 

“We have crucified a god, as I believed ! Henceforth 
I am accursed !” and leaving his Hall of Judgment, he 
went and shut himself up in his own room, which he has 
not since left. But men say he neither eats nor sleeps, 
and that a dread fit of gloom has settled upon his soul. 

Caiaphas and the chief priests, and scribes, in the 
meanwhile assembled together in full Sanhedrim, and 
hearing the testimony of the Centurion, were convinced 


OR, THREE v YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


449 


that the fact could not be concealed of Jesus’ resurrec- 
tion. 

“ Who has seen him alive ?” demanded the High- 
Priest. 

“ I have seen him, my lord,” answered the Centu- 
rion, — u I saw his pierced feet and hands as he walked 
past me ; and the morning breeze blew aside his man- 
tle and exposed to my eyes the open wound made by the 
spear of my soldier, Philippus. He was alive, and in 
full strength of limb !” 

“ Thou sawest a vision, Roman,” answered Caiaphas. 
“ Come then aside with us, and let us talk with thee.” 

In a few minutes afterwards the Centurion left the 
court of the High Priest’s palace, followed by a Gibeon- 
itish slave, bearing after him a vase of Persian gold. He 
has told every one since, that he must have seen a spirit, 
for “ that the disciples of Jesus came by night and stole 
away the body of their master, while they slept , over- 
come with watching.” His soldiers have also been 
bribed to tell the same tale ! 

Such is the false version that now goes about the city, 
my dear father ; but there are few that give it credence, 
even of our enemies. As iEmilius, who is filled with 
great joy at the resurrection of Jesus, to-day very justly 
says : 

“ If these soldiers slept on guard, they merited death 
therefor by the military laws of the empire. If, while 
sleeping, their charge — the dead body of Jesus — was 
taken away, they deserve death for failing to prevent it*. 
Why then are they not placed under arrest by Pilate’s 
orders, if this story be true ? Because Pilate well knows 
that it is not true ! He knows, because he has privately 


450 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID. 


examined many of the soldiers, that Jesns did burst his 
tomb, and that angels rolled away the stone without 
breaking his seals, which could not have been left un- 
marred but by a miracle. He knows that Jesus has 
arisen — for it is believed that he has also beheld him — 
at least such is the rumor at the Pretorium. It was 
the form of Jesus visible before him, doubtless, that 
drove him in such amazement from his Hall to his se- 
cret chamber ; for it was remarked that he started, 
turned deadly pale, and essayed to address the invisible 
space before him, as if he saw a spirit. Therefore his 
soldiers are not molested — and their exemption from 
arrest is proof that the body of Jesus was not stolen 
away while they slept! Besides, if they were asleep, 
these soldiers, how could they tell that it was stolen 
away, and declare the persons who did it ?” 

This is the unanswerable reasoning of the Prefect 
iEmilius ; and thus you see, dear father, that Caiaphas 
can gain little by his briberies and diligently circulated 
falsehood. That Jesus of Nazareth is alive from the 
dead is true, and if I had not seen Him, the evidence is 
complete enough to convince me of the fact. 

Besides the facts which I have stated, is the increas- 
ing testimony of the thousands who, to-day, have gone 
out of the city to see the sepulchre where He was laid. 
They say, both enemies of Jesus as well as our friends, 
that it was impossible for the door to have been opened 
by any human being, not by Pilate himself, without 
marring the seals. They also assert that, to remove the 
stone by night, which would require four men, and'to 
bear forth the body, would have been impossible, if the 
guard had been present ; and if they had been asleep, 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


451 


they must have been awakened with the heavy noise 
made by rolling the massive door along the hollow pave- 
ment outside the sepulchre. 

“ If,” say the common people, “ the watch slept, why 
does not the Procurator put them to death ?” 

This question remains unanswered, and the watch go 
about the streets unharmed ! My dear father, remem- 
ber no more my unbelief, but with me, believe in Jesus, 
that He is the Son of God, the Saviour of Israel, the 
immortal Christ of the Prophets. 

Your affectionate daughter, 

Adina. 

LETTER XXXVIII. 

Bethany , House of Mary and Martha, 
one month after the Passover. 

I deeply regret, my dearest father, the delays which 
have detained you so long from arriving at Jerusalem, 
but I trust that, ere many days, the caravan for which 
you wait will reach Gaza, and that you will be enabled 
to resume your journey to the Holy City. I am now at 
Bethany, where I have been some time making my 
home ; for such was the hostility of the Jews, incited by 
the chief priests, against us, as disciples of Jesus, that, 
by Pilate’s command, we were compelled to leave Jeru- 
salem on the day of the resurrection, to remain until 
their hatred had in some degree subsided for he said 
that the continued presence there of the disciples of 
Jesus, kept up constant occasion for tumult and interpo- 
sition of the Roman authority. 


452 


THE PRINCE OP THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


Uncle Amos lias retired for the present to his farm, 
near Jericho, but will he here to-morrow to remain with 
us. Therefore, when you come near to Jerusalem, in- 
stead of going directly into the city, turn aside by the 
road leading past the king’s gardens, and go up the 
brook of Kedron, into the way to Bethany. I pray that 
God may preserve you in safety, and soon permit me 
the happiness of once more embracing you, after three 
long years of separation. 

And what events have transpired, and to which I have 
been a witness in these three years ! From the preach- 
ing of John the Baptizer, and the baptism of Jesus by 
him, unto the glorious resurrection of the mighty Son 
of God ! Favored, Indeed, have I been to have been. a 
dweller in Judea, during this eventful period, and to 
have seen and heard these things, which no other age 
of the world can parallel ! But so far as one could know 
them, who was not an eye-witness, you, my dear father, 
have been faithfully informed of them through my let- 
ters. You have, therefore, before you the same testi- 
mony I have, and which those possess who have seen 
and now believe. Once more, my dear father, read care- 
fully over the whole narrative, from the first letter, and 
thus, with all the facts fresh in your mind, answer to 
yourself this inquiry : 

“ Is not this man the Son of God ? Is not He the 
very Christ, the divine and long-looked for Messias ? Is 
He not that mighty Prophet which should come into the 
world ? If not, who is He ? Who is He at whose birth 
the air was filled with angels, and over whose couch 
hung a celestial star? Before whose infant feet the 
three wisest men of the world — Shapha of Egypt, the son 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


453 


of Ham, Beltazar of Assyria, the son of Shem, and Tho- 
ropha of Grecia, the son of Japhet — representing the 
family of mankind, bowed in adoration and worship, as 
to God ? Who is He for whom Herod the First slew 
three hundred and two-score children in Bethlehem, in 
order to reach his life? Who is He whom John the 
Baptizer proclaimed the “ Lamb of God,” whose blood 
was the only fountain for sin ? Who is He at whose 
baptism the heavens were opened above his head, and 
the Spirit of God descended upon Him in the form of a 
dove of light, while the voice of the Lord, like the voice 
of many thunders, proclaimed from the depths of the 
cloudless skies, “ This is my beloved Son ?” Who is 
He, my dear father, at whose word the tempest became 
still ? the billowy waves placid ? the winds hushed ? 
Who is He that healed the sick and leprous by a word ! 
who restored a lost arm or* leg by a touch ! who by a 
look re-animated the lifeless limb of the paralytic ! who 
raised the daughter of Jairus ! healed the Centurion’s 
servant ! restored to life the son of the widow of Nain ! 
cast out a legion of devils from Beor, the Levite ! re- 
stored the deaf and dumb nephew of the Governor of 
Syria to hearing and speech ! gave to his disciples also the 
same power to do miracles ! feeds art one time four thou- 
sand men, and at another time five thousand, from a few 
pounds of bread and a few fishes, which a lad could 
carry in a basket ! whom Moses and Elias came from 
the regions of the blessed, shining in resplendent glory, 
bright from the presence of the Father, to visit and hold 
communion wdth ! who calls forth from the tomb of cor- 
ruption Lazarus, to life and health ! who once, while 
praying, was answered by a voice from Heaven in the 


454 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID* 


hearing of many people, “ I have glorified My name, and 
will glorify it again ?” 

Who was He, my father, at whose trial nothing could 
be found against Him, and who, when delivered to exe- 
cution by Pilate to save himself and appease the Jews, 
was publicly declared to be an innocent man, by the act 
of the Procurator, in calling for water and washing his 
hands, and saying that he vas clear of his blood, for he 
found no fault in Him ? Who was He at whose cruci- 
fixion the heavens grew black as sackcloth, the sun 
withdrew its fight, the stars shot from their spheres, the 
lightnings leaped along the earth, the earth itself quaked, 
and the dead sprung from their graves ? Who was He 
who on the third day burst the bars of the tomb ; re- 
ceived, as He walked forth, the homage of an archangel ; 
whose servants were a seraph and a cherub ; who ap- 
peared alive to his mother — to the women of Galilee — 
to Mary of Bethany, to Martha and Lazarus, and last of 
all to me ? Who is this wonderful person, my father — 
who is He but the Christ ? Oh, read, reflect, compare 
the prophets that speak of Messias, with the life, and 
words, and deeds of Jesus, and the life of Jesus with the 
prophets ! There thou wilt see that He has proven him- 
self the very Christ f by what we, in our ignorance, 
looked upon as the seal affixed to an impostor. Isaias 
prophesied of the Christ whom he saw afar off, that 

He should be a man of sorrow that He should be 
“ despised and rejected of men that He should be 
brought “as a lamb to the slaughter that He should 
be “taken from prison and judgment, and cut off from 
the land of the living that He should be “ numbered 
with the wicked in his death, and make his grave with 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE 'HOLY CITY. 


455 


the rich !” How light, how clear, how plain, all these 
prophecies now are to me, and to us all ! How wonder- 
fully in their minuteness they have been fulfilled, you' 
already know. 

His resurrection, also, was foretold by himself, but 
we did not understand his words until now. When He 
spoke of destroying the Temple and raising it in three 
days, He spoke of the tabernacle of his body ! Oh, how 
many sayings, which, when spoken by his sacred lips, 
we understood not, now rush upon us in all their mean- 
ing, proving to us that every step of his life was fore- 
known to Him ; that He went forward to his death 
aware of all things whatsoever that were going to befall 
Him! 

But his resurrection was also foretold by the holy 
David, when he said, “ Thou wilt not leave his soul in 
hell, nor suffer thy Holy One to see corruption :” and, 
‘‘therefore, my flesh shall rest in hope!” Even his 
arraignment before Pilate, Caiaphas, and Herod, was 
foretold by David, when he said : “ The kings of the 
earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel to- 
gether, against the Lord, and against his Anointed 
yet the Lord saith, “ Thou art my Son, this day I have 
begotten thee.” Also, my dear father, turn to the 
Psalms (xxii.) of King David, and compare the follow- 
ing words, which speak of Messias, with what I have 
described in my previous letters : 

“ My God, my God! why hast Thou forsaken me?” 
These are prophetic words, put into the mouth of Mes- 
sias, when He shall come, and be forsaken of God. You 
will find that in my letters I have told you that on the 
cross Jesus uttered these very words. 


456 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


Again, King David makes Messias, a few sentences 
further on, to say, “ They shoot out the lip at me ; they 
shake the head ; they laugh me to scorn. They say, 
4 He trusted in the Lord that He would deliver him.’ 
Thou hast brought me into the dust of death.” 

All this shows that Messias, if He were to be a king, 
was also to suffer, to be forsaken of Grod, to be brought 
to death ! and yet we rejected Jesus as soon as He died ! 
But, my dear father, read the same psalm of the holy 
king a little further, and you will see these words, which 
were put by the royal prophet into the lips of his future 
Messias : 

“ The assembly of the wicked have enclosed me. 
They pierced my hands and my feet. They part my 
garments among them, and upon my vesture cast lots !” 

Read and compare these acknowledged prophecies of 
Messias with the accounts in my letters, dear father, 
and you will not only be convinced that Jesus is the 
Messias of the prophets, and Christ of God, but you will 
perceive that his humiliation and sufferings before Pilate 
and Caiaphas, his agony on the cross, his death and 
burial, instead, as we ignorantly conceived, of being 
evidences that He was not the Christ, are proof that He 
was the very Son of the Highest — the Shiloh of Jehovah 
foretold by the prophets — the Anointed King of Israel. 

Oh, wonderful is all this ! How marvellous these 
things passing before our eyes ! Yet how have we been 
blinded — how gross and dark our minds that we could 
not, until He died, and has arisen again, see in Him all 
that He was in his sufferings and in his death — the 
Divine Messias. Now all is dazzlingly clear ! The 
prophets are unveiled to our sight, and we see that these 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


457 


things must have happened to Him. Yet how quickly 
was He deserted and faith lost in Him ! How his dis- 
ciples denied that they ever knew Him ! and how we all 
were ashamed that we had ever followed Him ! Oh, 
our darkness, our blindness, to have seen in the prophe- 
cies of Messias only the passages which speak of his 
glory and power, and passed by those which as posi- 
tively foretold of his humiliation, degradation, and 
death ! Read the Prophets no longer, my dearest fa- 
ther, with a veil before your eyes ! See, in all you read, 
Jesus as the end of the Prophets, the goal of all their 
far-seeing prophecies, the veritable and sure realization 
of their prophetic visions. 

But you have said, in one of your late letters to me, 
that “ Elias must first come, ere Messias appear on 
earth ;” and then you ask me, “ Where is Elias ? Hath 
he come ? Who hath seen him ?” 

This question, my dear father, was also put by some 
of the Jews to Jesus. Pie replied : 

“ Elias truly has come, and ye knew him not, and ye 
have done unto him whatsoever you list.” 

“ Who was he ?” demanded several of the scribes and 
priests, surprised at hearing this. 

“ He who came crying in the wilderness before me, 
and who spake of me, and whom Herod hath slain,” He 
answered. 

“ But his name was John, master,” said they. “His 
spirit and power were those of Elias,” answered Jesus. 
“ In Elijah’s spirit and power he came, and thus was 
called the Elias that should come. The reality is the 
man ! John was the Elias of Malachi the Prophet — for 
prophetic eyes see natures independently of names.” 

20 


458 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


Thus, my dear father, has Jesus in all particulars 
proved himself to he the subject of all prophecy — the 
King of Israel. But you will now ask, “ Is He to re- 
establish the throne of David, and live forever ?” 

Yes, but not in Jerusalem on earth. Oh, how clear 
are all things to my apprehension now ! His kingdom, 
which I once believed to be the land of Judah, is to be 
in a world beyond the skies, which He has created for 
his followers, and to which they are to pass, like Him, 
through the gates of death. The Jerusalem, in which 
His Throne is to be placed, is heavenly, and the true Je- 
rusalem, of which the present one is but the material 
type — what the body is to the soul of a man. 

Jesus has talked with me since his resurrection, and 
explained all this to me, and much more that is won- 
derful and full of joy. It is now four weeks since He 
arose, and during that time, He has been not only seen 
by all the disciples, but by hundreds of his followers. 
The seventh day after his resurrection He appeared 
openly at Nazareth, and on the seashore, to Peter, John, 
Andrew, James, and other disciples, to his numerous 
relatives, and many of the chief citizens of his town, all 
of whom not only recognized Him, but marvelled to be- 
hold his crucified hands ! The effect of this recognition, 
which was made by many, who, being up at the Pass- 
over, had seen Him crucified, was to bring the whole 
population worshipping at his knees. The only change 
in his usual appearance, dear father, to the eye, is a 
transparent paleness, which gives a soft radiance to his 
whole aspect, and a certain majestic reserve, which awes 
all who draw near to Him ; so that men speak in his 
presence in subdued whispers. His mother, happiest of 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY.. 


459 


women now, as she was before the most wretched, ever 
sits at his feet, and silently enjoys his sacred presence, 
seldom speaking, and looking np to him, rather as a 
worshipper, to her God, than a mother upon her son. 
That He is in the flesh in reality, and not a spirit, He 
has proven to his disciples, by eating with them ; and 
in a remarkable way to an incredulous disciple, called 
Thomas, who, not believing that Jesus was risen in his 
real body from the dead, was told by the Divine Lord 
to place his fingers into his hands, and his hand into his 
side ; which Thomas, convinced, with awe refused to do ; 
but, falling at his feet in amazement and adoration, wor- 
shipped Him as God. 

It would take much time, my dear father, to record 
the numerous instances in which the risen Lord has 
been seen and spoken with, by persons who knew Him 
before his crucifixion ; so that there is no fact so fully 
established in the minds of many thousands in Judah, 
as the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. 

And if fuller proof is wanted, it is to be had, as Abram, 
the learned Pharisee, has been forced to confess to Rabbi 
Amos, in the conduct of his disciples, after their Master’s 
crucifixion. For they began their defection by denying 
Him, and deserting Him ; flying in all directions, and 
studiously concealing the fact of their former connection 
with Him. They were not only moved by fear to this 
concealment, but by shame, being sorely mortified at 
having been led away by Him : for they were honest, 
plain, sensible men, without fanaticism or fanciful vaga- 
ries. They had become the followers of Jesus, because 
they saw in Him that moral purity and truth, which 
formed the elements of their own characters. These 


460 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID • 


plain, homely men — these poor fishermen, and humble 
countrymen, deeply felt how their false position, among 
judicious folks, would now make them appear, and so 
they hastened to bury their disgrace and disappointment 
in the seclusion of the fishing hamlets of Galilee ; and 
doubtless desired never more to hear spoken into their 
ears the name of their crucified Master. 

But what do we behold, within a week after the resur- 
rection is made known, through the length and breadth 
of Judah ? Those men who had hidden in dismay, from 
the face of day, came boldly forth, and once more were 
with their Lord, forgiven by Him, and received by Him 
again into his holy confidence. They went with Him 
wherever He went, even to Jerusalem, from which they 
had but a few days before fled. They walked every- 
where with animated steps, and elevated faces, like men 
no longer serving a defeated monarch, but like men whose 
Master was Lord of heaven and of earth ! 

To-day they are with Him in the gardens of David, 
at Bethlehem, where He is holding daily a solemn coun- 
cil with the eleven, unfolding to them the future glory 
of his kingdom, and opening their understandings to the 
clear apprehension of all which the prophets have writ- 
ten concerning him. John, who is a member of this 
divine council, says that the power of Jesus, the extent 
and majesty of his kingdom, the infinite results of his 
death and resurrection, are not to be conceived of by 
those who have not listened to these sublime revelations 
of his own lips. 

“He hath shown us,” said John, “ how that his true 
office as Son of God, and Son of Man, is to be a media- 
tor between both ; that by his death He hath reconciled 


OR. THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


461 


the race of Adam to his Father, having become our Lamb 
of sacrifice for the whole world. He showed us that He 
himself was the High Priest, and his own precious body 
the victim, which He himself offered up to appease the 
wrath of Jehovah against transgressions, and how that 
the Cross was the veritable Altar of this great world’s 
sacrifice, and its Temple the whole earth and heavens ! 
He showed us how that all the lambs which have bled 
since Adam’s day, typified himself, the one only true 
and efficient Lamb, which God ultimately looked to, to 
be sacrificed, for sins ! 

How wonderful, dear father, is all this ! He further 
teaches his disciples, that He will shortly ascend from 
the earth, to enter upon his celestial reign ; and that 
his subjects there are to be all who love Him and keep 
his commandments. It is to be a kingdom of holiness, 
and none will enter there but the pure in heart. He 
says further, that as we do now confess our sins over the 
blood of the victim we sacrifice for ourselves in the Tem- 
ple, so henceforth, we must look to Him (by faith when 
we shall see Him no longer), slain a sacrifice for us, and 
confess our sins to the Father for his blood’s sake, which 
the Father has accepted in the one sacrifice He made on 
the cross, once for us all. Jesus has moreover taught 
his disciples that the Gentiles are to share equally with 
the children of Abraham the benefits of his death and 
resurrection; that this good news shall be proclaimed 
to them by his disciples, and that they will gladly hear it 
and believe. That the gospel of redemption, no longer 
by the blood of bulls and of goats, but by his blood, shall 
in the progress of ages fill the whole earth ; when every 
knee shall bow to his name. 


462 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


“ The foundation of my everlasting kingdom,” saith 
He, “ truly shall he laid upon earth in the hearts of 
men ; hut the building is with Grod eternal in the hea- 
vens. The tomb through which I have passed is its 
gate, and all who would come after me, and enter in, 
must follow in my footsteps.” 

Thomas then asked his Lord whither He would go, 
and the way. How He would leave the earth, since He 
could die no more. 

“ Thou shalt see for thyself ere many days pass,” an- 
swered Jesus. “ In that I have risen, all whom my 
Father giveth me shall rise also from the dead ; and 
those whom I raise up, I will take with me the way I 
go ; for where I am they shall evermore be with me 
also.” 

Such, dear father, is a brief account of what John has 
told us, touching the divine teaching of Messias, the Son 
of G-od, respecting his kingdom. Yet much is still mys- 
terious ; but we know enough to be willing to trust our- 
selves to Him for this life, and for that which is to come. 
We know that all power is given into his hands, and 
that He can save all men who believe in and accept 
Him as the only sacrificed Lamb which the Father hath 
accepted for the iniquities of men. The sacrifices oj 
the Temple must henceforth cease ! ^ 

What is remarkable, dear father, notwithstanding the 
Jews have heard that Jesus walks everywhere through 
Jewry, yet no efforts are made to lay hands on Him. At 
his presence, crowds of his enemies fly like the stricken 
multitude before the advancing sirocco. His presence 
in Judea is a present dread, like some great evil, to those 
who fear Him ; but like a celestial blessing to more who 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


463 


love Him. Pilate, on the eve of making a journey last 
week to Bethel, before quitting the city, dispatched cour- 
iers in advance to ascertain “ whether Jesus the crucified 
was on the line of his route 1” Caiaphas having occasion 
to go to Jericho, a few days after the Passover, hearing 
that Jesus had been seen with his disciples on the road, 
made a circuit round by Luz and Shiloh, in order not to 
meet Him. The gates of this city are kept constantly 
shut, lest He should enter within the walls : some of the 
chief priests fearing greatly to behold his face, while 
others imagine that He is engaged in raising an army, 
to advance upon and take Jerusalem from the Romans. 
And doubtless, dear father, were the kingdom of Jesus 
of this world, He would in a few days lead a countless 
host against the city, and make himself master of Judea. 
But his kingdom is above ; and all who dwell in the 
true Jerusalem, must follow Him thither through suffer- 
ings, humiliation, and death ! 

I rejoice to see by your last letter, that you may be 
expected to reach here the week after next. Oh that 
you were here now, that you might be taken by John 
to see Jesus ! for from what He says He will not long re- 
main visible among us. Whither He goeth or how He 
goeth away, no man can say. We are filled with ex- 
pectation of some great event, which will conclude the 
brilliant and wonderful succession of -marvels that at- 
tend his footsteps and presence on earth. 

Faithfully, your loving daughter, 


Adina. 


4G4 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID 


LETTER XXXIX. 

Bethany , Forty Days after the Resurrection. 
My Dear Father : 

With emotions that nearly deprive me of the power to 
hold my pen, and with trembling fingers that make the 
words I write almost illegible, I sit down to make known 
to you the extraordinary event, which will mark this 
day in all future time as the most worthy to he noted 
among men. 

In my last I informed you that Jesus, after his won- 
derful resurrection, which was declared to all men by 
infallible proofs, gathered once more his amazed and 
adoring disciples about Him, and taught them, with more 
than mortal wisdom and eloquence, the great truths ap- 
pertaining to his kingdom, which He now appointed them 
to extend throughout all the world. 

On the fortieth day, my dear father, early in the morn- 
ing, He left the house of Mary and Lazarus, where He 
had sat up with us all night (for none of us thought of 
sleep within the sound of his heavenly voice), speaking 
to us of the glories of heaven, and the excellency of 
heart and purity of life required of all who should en- 
ter it. 

“Lord,” said Martha, as He went forth, “whither 
goest thou ?” 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


465 


- “ Come and see,” He answered. “ "Whither I go ye 
shall know, and the way ye shall know : for where I am 
ye shall also be, and all those who believe in me.” 

“ Lord,” said Mary, kneeling at his feet, “ return at 
noon, and remain with us during the heat of the day.” 

“ Mary,” said Jesus, laying his hand gently upon her 
forehead, “I am going to my Father’s house! There 
thou shalt one day dwell with me in mansions not made 
with hands. Follow me now, and thou shalt know the 
way thither ! Through temptation I have first trodden 
it, through suffering, through death, and through resur- 
rection from the dead. So also must thou and all who 
love me follow me. To my friends, the gate of the 
tomb opens into the world of life eternal.” 

Thus speaking, He walked slowly onward towards the 
hill of Bethany, not far from the place where Lazarus 
was buried. Fie was followed not only by Mary, Mar- 
tha, Lazarus, and John, my cousin Mary -and myself, 
each of us expecting, from his words and manner, some 
new and great event to take place, but by all the disci- 
ples, who had presently joined him near the cemetery, 
at the foot of the hill. There were at least five hundred 
persons in all, moving on with Him ere He reached the 
green hillside beyond the village ; for all followed Him, 
expecting to hear more glorious revelations from his lips, 
of the life beyond this. 

“ He goes to the hill to pray,” said one of his disciples. 

“ Nay,” said Peter, “He prays not since his resurrec- 
tion as before. He has no need of prayer for himself, 
who has conquered sin, Satan, death, the grave, and the 
world !” 

“ He goeth to show us some mighty miracle, from the 
20 * 


466 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


expression of power and majesty in his aspect,” said 
Thomas to me, gazing upon the Lord with awe ; for each 
moment as He ascended the hill, his countenance grew 
more glorious with a certain G-od-like majesty, and shone 
as the face of Moses descending from Mount Sinai. We 
all hung hack with adoring fear, and alone He proceeded 
onward, a wide space being left by us between ourselves 
and Him. Yet there was no terror in the glory which 
surrounded and shined out from Him ; but rather a holy 
radiance, that seemed to be the very light of holiness 
and peace. 

“ So looked He,” said John to us, “ when we beheld 
Him transfigured in the mount with Elias and Moses.” 

The hill which is not lofty, was soon surmounted by 
his sacred feet. He stood upon its apex alone. We kept 
back near the brow of the hill, fearing to approach Him, 
for his raiment shone now like the sun, while his coun- 
tenance was as lightning. We shaded our eyes to be- 
hold Him. All was now expectation, and a looking for 
some mighty event — what, we knew not ! John drew 
nearest to Him, and upon his knees, with clasped hands, 
looked towards Him earnestly ; for he knew, as he after- 
wards told us, what would take place ; Jesus having in- 
formed him the night before. Joy and yet tears were on 
his face, as he gazed with blinded eyes, as one gazes on 
the noonday sun, upon his Divine Master. It was a 
scene, dear father, impressive beyond expression. The 
hill was thronged with an expectant, awe-stricken multi- 
tude, which knew not whether to remain or fly from the 
glorious majesty of the presence of the Son of Grod. 
The blue sky spread out its illimitable concave above 
the hills with but a single cloud. At ihe foot of the 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


467 


eminence towards the Holy City, slept the gardens of 
Gethsemane, where Jesus loved to walk, and where He 
was arrested. Jerusalem, with its towers, pinnacles, 
palaces, and gorgeous Temple, glittered in the distance ; 
and Calvary, studded with fresh Roman crosses, stood 
out boldly in view, in the transparent air. The tall cy- 
presses which grew above the tomb of Joseph, where He 
had lain, were also visible. Jesus seemed for a moment 
to survey these scenes of his suffering, of his ignominy 
and death, with the look of a divine Conqueror. He 
then turned to his disciples and said : 

“ Ye have been with me in my sorrows, and you now 
shall behold my glory, and the reward which my Father 
doth give me. To-day I take leave of you, and ascend 
to my Father and your Father. Remember all things 
which I have taught you concerning my kingdom. Go 
forth and teach the glad tidings of salvation to all men, 
and baptize all nations in the name of the Father, and 
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ; and lo, I am with 
you alway, even unto the end of the world.” 

Thus speaking, in a voice that thrilled every bosom 
with emotions indescribable, He extended his hands above 
their heads and blessed them, while we all fell upon our 
faces to the ground also, to receive his blessing. 

He then lifted up his eyes to the calm blue depths of 
heaven, and said in the same words He had spoken on 
the night of the Passover, as John had told me. 

“ And now, 0 Father, glorify thou me with thine own 
self. With the glory which I had with Thee before the 
world was !” 

As He spoke, we raised our faces from the ground, to 
behold Him leaving the earth, rising from the hilltop into 


468 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID 


the air, with a slow and majestic ascension ; his hands 
out-spread over us who were beneath, as if shedding 
down blessings upon us all. The loud burst of surprise 
which rose from five hundred voices at seeing Him soar 
away into the atmosphere, was followed by a profound 
and awful silence, as we watched Him rise and still rise, 
ascending and still ascending into the upper air, his 
whole form growing brighter and brighter, as the dis- 
tance widened between his feet and the earth ! 

Upon our knees, in speechless amazement, we followed 
his ascent with our amazed eyes, not a word being spoken 
by any soul ; nay hearts might have been heard beating 
in the intense expectation of the moment ! 

Lo ! in the far-off height of heaven, we beheld sud- 
denly appear a bright cloud, no larger than a man’s hand, 
but each instant it expanded and grew broader and 
brighter, and, swift as the winged lightning, descended 
through the firmament downward, until we beheld it 
evolve itself into a glittering host of angels, which no 
man could number, countless as the stars of heaven. 
As these shining legions descended, they parted into two 
bands, and sweeping along the air, met the ascending 
Son of God in mid-sky ! The rushing of their ten thou- 
sand times ten thousand wings, was heard as the sound 
of many waters. Surrounding Jesus, like a shining 
cloud, they received Him into their midst, and hid Him 
from our eyes amid the glories of their celestial splendor ! 

Now came to our ears the sounds of heavenly song, a 
sublimer chorus than earth ever heard before. From 
the squadrons of Seraphim and Cherubim encircling with 
their linked wings the Son of God, came, like the unearth- 
ly music one hears in the dreams of night, these words, 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY 


469 


receding, as they mounted upward with the Conqueror 
of Death and Hell : 

“ Lift up your heads, 0 ye gates ! 

And be ye lifted up ye everlasting doors ; 

And the King of Glory shall come in !” 

This chorus seemed to be answered from the inmost 
heavens, as if an Archangel were standing at its portals, 
keeping watchful guard over the entrance facing the 
earth. 

“ Who is the King of Glory?” 

“The Lord strong and mighty, even the Lord mighty in battle 
against principalities and powers,” 

was chanted hack from the ascending escort of Jesus, 
in the sublimest strains of triumphant joy. 

“ Lift up your heads, O ye gates ! and be ye lifted up, ye everlast- 
ing doors, and the King of Glory shall come in.” 

Upon this we heard a mighty voice, as it were in 
heaven, accompanied by the sound of a trumpet, and 
ten thousand voices about the throne of Jehovah seemed 
to say : 

“ God is coming up with a shout. He rideth upon the heavens ! He 
ascendeth on high ! He hath led captivity captive and received gifts 
for men. 0 clap your hands, all ye people of earth, shout his triumph, 
ye hosts of heaven ! 

“ Fling wide your gates, 0 City of God ! Be ye lifted up, ye ever- 
lasting doors, for the King of Glory enters in !” 

Ascending and still ascending, receding and still re- 
ceding, fainter and fainter, came down to earth the an- 
gelic choruses, when at length the brightest cloud of 
angels faded away into the upper heaven, the Son of 
G-od shining in their midst, like a central sun, surround- 
ed by a luminous halo ; till finally, like a star, they re- 
mained visible a few moments longer, and then the heav- 
ens received Him out of our sight. 


470 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID : 


While we stood gazing up into the far skies, hoping, ex- 
pecting, yet doubting if we should ever behold Him 
again, two bright stars seemed to be descending from the 
height of heaven towards us. In a few seconds we saw 
that they were angels. Alighting on the place Jesus had 
left, they said to the eleven, “ Why gaze ye up into hea- 
ven, ye men of Galilee ? This same Jesus whom ye 
have seen go into heaven, shall so eome in like manner 
as ye have now seen Him ascend !” Thus speaking, they 
vanished out of our sight ! 

The above account, my dear father, of ±he ascent yes- 
terday into heaven of the Christ, our Blessed Lord Jesus, 
I wrote the same evening, while all the circumstances 
were present and vivid to my mind. Oh, what a sub- 
lime spectacle ! What human language can describe it ! 
But one thing I have presented clearly to you, dear fa- 
ther, and that is the fact that Jesus has ascended into the 
heaven of heavens ! Oh, amazing reality ! Overwhelm- 
ing truth 1 What, oh, what is earth ? — What is Judea ? 
What is man ? — -that God is mindful of him — that He 
should so have visited him ! And when He has visited 
us — when His Divine Son, the brightness of the glory 
of the Father, has descended to earth, and assumed our 
nature, to reconcile us to God, and obtain an eternal life 
for us, how has He been received ? Shunned for his 
voluntary poverty — despised for his humble human par- 
entage — hated for his holiness — tried before tribunals for 
crimes unknown to him — scourged and spit upon, mock- 
ed, and buffeted, and crucified with thieves, as if his 
enemies would render iiis death as ignominious as it was 
capable of being made ! 

But behold the issue ! See, when He had paid the 


OR, THREE YEARS IN THE HOLY CITY. 


471 


debt of death for us, the change in all things ! He awakes 
to life ! He bursts the tomb ! He walks forth from the 
sepulchre ! Angels are his servants ! After forty days 
on earth, unfolding to his disciples the mysteries of his 
gospel and the splendor of his kingdom, He ascends visi- 
bly to heaven at mid-day from Bethany, in the sight of 
many hundreds, and is escorted by armies of angels to 
the right hand of the Majesty on high ! 

Such, my dear father, is the appropriate crowning event 
of the extraordinary life of Jesus, both Lord and Christ ! 
His ascent from this earth into the heaven of heavens, 
not only is proof that He came from God, but that God is 
well-pleased with all that He has done in the flesh. If in 
any one thing He taught, He spoke what was not true, 
either concerning the Father or concerning himself, He 
would not have received such a welcome back to the 
heavenly abodes ! All that Jesus said of himself is there- 
fore true ! Jehovah attests it ! We must then believe, 
or we can have no interest in the kingdom which He 
has gone to prepare for us, and which we can enter 
only as He has travelled to it, through humiliation, 
suffering, death, the tomb, resurrection, and also as- 
cension ! Thus did He truly say, “ The way I go ye 
shall know!” 

His kingdom is, therefore, my dear father, clearly not 
of this world, as He said to Pilate, the Procurator ; but 
it is Above. To it He has triumphantly ascended, at- 
tended by legions of Cherubim and Seraphim, an ascent 
which David clearly foresaw in vision, when he wrote : 

“ God has gone up with a shout, He has ascended on 
High !” 

Doubt, then, no longer, dearest father! Jesus, the 


472 


THE PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID: 


son of Mary in his human nature, was the Son of God 
in his Divine nature ; an incomprehensible and myste- 
rious union, whereby He has brought together in har- 
mony the two natures, separated far apart by sin, by 
sacrificing his own body as a sin-offering, to reconcile 
both in one Immaculate body upon the cross. There is 
now no more condemnation to them who believe in Him 
and accept Him ; for in his body He took our sins, and 
with his precious blood, as that of a lamb without blem- 
ish, cleansed them forever away. 

But I cannot write all I would say to you, dearest 
father. When we meet, which you rejoice me in saying, 
will be on the first day of the week, at Jerusalem, I 
will unfold to you all that the divine and glorified Jesus 
has taught me. Doubt not that He is Messias. Hesi- 
tate not to accept Him ; for He is the end of Moses, and 
of the Law, and of the Prophets, the very Shiloh who 
should come and restore all things, to whom be glory, 
power, dominion, majesty, and excellency, evermore. 

Your loving daughter, 


Adina. 


44 or 


®|c Jrince of f(ic House of galuir. 


ft 


NOTICES OF THE PRESS. 

AND 

RECOMMENDATIONS OF EMINENT CLERGYMEN, 

WITH 

REMARKS IN VINDICATION OF THE WORK. 


{k The Prince of the House of David,” the sale of which 
has been almost unprecedented, and of which a new and revised 
edition has just been issued to meet the still increasing demand 
for it, has been the subject of criticism and discussion, through 
the public press and otherwise, to an extent that rarely falls to a 
work challenging the attention of the reading public. 

The secular press have almost unanimously given the work the 
seal of their approbation, and the religious press, with few ex- 
ceptions, have also spoken of it in terms of unqualified commen- 
dation. In reply, however, to certain attacks upon it, and which 
comprise the few exceptions above referred to, the following 
vindication of the volume is submitted to the public. 

The Courier and Enquirer, in a commendatory notice of the 
work, says: 

“It is conceived in an admirable spirit, and written in beautiful style, and 
will interest all classes of readers.” 


2 


RECOMMENDATIONS. 


The Religious Herald , Richmond, says : 

“ It is an attractive volume, and will be read with profit, and will secure, to 
a great extent, the public favor.” 

The Christian Witness , of Boston, says : 

“ This is a new and delicate ground. The author has trod, however, with 
reverent step, and we have been favorably impressed with his spirit and skill.” 

The Baptist Examiner says of it : 

“We have been very much interested in this work of Professor Ingraham. 
The astonishing scenes and facts which crowd the brief ministry of Christ, seem 
to be brought nearer to our human feelings, and certainly awaken afresh all oui 
admiring wonder at the mysterious nature and work of the Redeemer of man.” 


The Congregationalism Boston, says : 

“While we sometimes tremble as we read, at the almost audacity of thus 
holding familiar intercourse with such scenes and persons, we get such help to 
greater vividness of conception as to make us read on rejoicing. Somebody 
must have had just such experience which it would be lawful for them to tell , 
and delightful for us to hear. We commend the volume to the Christian, as as- 
sisting him to a more vivid conception of the scenes on which he loves to medi- 
tate, and so of the character which he adores ; to the impenitent as calculated 
to excite in their minds a more life-like idea of realities which are too apt to be 
unreal to them; and to the Jew, as including a strong argument, from their own 
prophetic books, for Jesus as their expected Messiah.” 

The Methodist Christian Advocate and Journal, in a critique upon 
it, says : 

“This is the most delightful volume we have ever read. It is very ably and 
most eloquently written. No work of fiction could be more efficient in its ef- 
fect upon the imagination, or the affections of the heart; while its facts and in- 
cidents are in keeping with the evangelical record. It is a book which one 
would read again and again, for the delightful and sanctifying emotions it awa- 
kens in one who feels and realizes his personal interest in the ‘ Story of the 
Cross.’” 


(From the New-York Chronicle, Presbyterian.) 

“This is a large 12mo volume written for, and well calculated to please, 
readers of the present age. It gives the name and birth-place of a Jewess ; 
names her ancestors, who, of course, were a noble family ; at the age of 17 


RECOMMENDATIONS. 


3 


conveys her from her father’s house, in Alexandria of Egypt, to the city of Je- 
rusalem, there to complete her education, where she is made the eye-witness of 
all that transpires touching John the Baptist, and Jesus the Messiah, from the 
time of his Baptism until his Ascension int o Heaven, an account of which she 
sends to her father, a wealthy Jew in Alexandria. Many passages are exceed- 
ingly touching and beautiful. The account of the Son of the Widow of Nain 
restored to his afflicted mother, is unsurpassed. Nor is the account given of 
Lazarus, or the description of the Saviour in the hands of his enemies, less in- 
teresting. In reading the book, we had marked several passages, thinking to 
give them as specimens of the spirit and ability of the work, but prefer leaving 
the reader to procure and read the entire book, believing he will find it both 
pleasing and profitable.” 

j. 

( From the Christian Chronicle, Philadelphia.) 

“Many circumstances alluded to in the Bible are explained by the young 
Jewess, and in a manner to deeply interest the readers of the Bible. It is a 
beautiful volume, and will be read with pleasure and profit.” 

{From, the Churchman's Magazine.) 

“The narrative purports to be written by a Jewish maiden, from Jerusalem, 
in the time of our Saviour, and to relate, as by an eye-witness, the scenes and 
wonderful incidents in his life. The object of the author is to bring the oc- 
currences in the life of our Saviour boldly and prominently before the mind and 
attention of the reader, and to interweave with them the arguments from pro- 
phecy, and the general expectation of the coming of the Messiah as proofs of 
his Divinity. This has been done happily and forcibly, and while the attrac- 
tive style in which the work is written will draw to it many readers, its argu- 
ments and teachings are calculated to arouse attention, and to do a good work 
to the cause of Christianity.” 

The Puritan Recorder, Boston, says of the work, that 

“It will help to fix the facts of Evangelical history more firmly in many 
minds than they have been before.” 

So much for commendations from the press of all denominations 
of Christians, as well as the secular press, many gentlemen of 
which, though not theologians, are quite as capable of an opinion 
in matters of taste as clerical men. The Book has also received 
the highest approval from clergymen of the Presbyterian, Metho- 
dist, Baptist, and Congregational denominations, and Bishops of 
the Episcopal church. 


4 


RECOMMENDATIONS. 


Rev. Dr. Dowling, of Philadelphia, says, in a letter to the Pub- 
lishers : 

“ The graphic and deeply interesting manner in which the Saviour’s life, and 
the scenes amid which these events occurred, are described, or rather, pictured 
before the reader, almost transports one back for eighteen centuries, to the 
very time of the life of Christ on earth, and to the very places hallowed by his 
sacred presence. The influence of such a book cannot be otherwise than good, 
wherever it is read, adapted as it is to invest with a most attractive charm, to 
young and old, the history of the life and miracles, the sufferings and death ot 
our adorable Redeemer. I wish for it a very extensive circulation.” 

Rev. Dr. Hatfield, Pastor Seventh Presbyterian Church, N. Y., 
says : 

“ The domestic narrative, in which the incidents of the Saviour’s life are in- 
terwoven, is well conceived, and well adapted to arrest the attention of both 
Jew and Gentile. It would gratify me to know that it had found its way into 
every house in my parish. I anticipate for it an extensive circulation, and a 
high, course of usefulness.” 

Rev. A. D. Gillette, Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, N. Y., 
writes : 

“I amhappy to say the work is written in an engaging style, and attractively 
carries the reader into the very scenes which so illustriously distinguish the 
earthly mission of our Blessed Redeemer. It brings the events of Gospel His- 
tory as vividly to view as if they were actually transpiring before us. I hope 
the work may find many readers.” 

Rev. D. H. Miller, Yonkers, N. Y., says : 

“ At the first glance of the work, I feared that fancy had been allowed to dis- 
place the Lord in his true mission, from the narrative ; but, after a careful and 
consecutive perusal, I confess I am delighted with it, and consider it one of 
the best pieces of scriptural delineation produced in jour time. He has most 
beautifully blended Scripture doctrine with Christian practice, which in its pe- 
rusal cannot fail to enkindle the deepest emotions of- the human soul. Accept 
my thanks, gentlemen, for the favor conferred in presenting me with a copy, 
and rest assured I shall not fail to commend it to my parishioners as a work 
especially calculated to interest the young in the history of the sacred Scrip- 
tures, and at the same time as a book of most delightful and witching interest.’ 


RECOMMENDATIONS. 


5 


Rev. R. T. Middleditch, N. J. ; says: 

“ As a specimen of descriptive and dramatic power, the work is excellent. 
It is gratifying to find an author able to treat on subjects so precious to a 
Christian heart, in such a manner that neither his style nor taste dispar- 
ages their dignity and importance.” 

Such are the impartial and just commendations of eminent - 
divines of various Christian sects, to the merits and usefulness of 
the hook. There are few prominent exceptions, however, to this 
general commendation of the work, and it is the objections ad- 
vanced by these we wish to consider. The ground taken by these 
articles -is, that the subject is not a fair one for the pen, and that 
the scenes in the Life of Jesus when He “dwelt among us’ ; are 
not legitimate ground for the writer. 

Now, we contend that the scenes of the life of Christ as the 
“Man Christ Jesus, ;; dwelling among us, are as legitimate ground, 
reverently treated as they are here by Rev. Mr. Ingraham, for 
the pen as for the pencil. Eloquent clergymen often depict them 
in the pulpit. In all ages the scenes in the Life of Jesus have 
been regarded as a proper field for the highest manifestations of 
Art. Who condemns, however puritanic, the noble works of the 
great masters of the pencil, which has given to us on canvas 
representations of the prominent facts of the Atonement from the 
Babe in Bethlehem, before whom the wise men prostrated them- 
selves, to the Descent from the Cross. Nay, in Trinity Chapel, in 
this city, Art, in its richest colors, has represented to us the 
Ascension of Christ and other scenes of the New Testament. All 
persons of taste, all intelligent Christians, admit the right of Art 
to the field of gospel history, and that the scenes that passed in 
Judea during the four years of our Lord’s ministry, are legitimate 
subjects for the pencil, reverently treated. 

Wherefore, then, not for the pen ? If it be ground for the 
imagination of the painter, why not for that of the Christian wri- 


6 


RECOMMENDATIONS. 


ter ? The pen and pencil have one and the same end. The pen 
on paper presents the cartoon which the peneil of the artist after- 
ward transfers to canvas. Does any one object to the engrav- 
ings in “ The Prince of the House of David 77 as irreligious, be- 
cause they represent the Baptism of Jesus, the raising of the 
widow 7 s son, and the Crucifixion ? If these pictorial representa- 
tions are allowable, who shall justly condemn the printed pages 
opposite which they illustrate ? 

If it is impious to give to our Saviour form and features with the 
pen, it is quite as impious to do so with the pencil. If the 11 Prince 
of the House of David 77 is to be condemned for portraying scenes 
by the power of imagination in the life of Jesus, then all pictures of 
the Holy Family, of the Crucifixion, Ascension, &c., should be con- 
demned as irreligious, and the costly pictured windows in the 
modern churches removed. 

If it is impious for the letters I. N. to be embroidered by Mary 
upon the silken corner of a sacred Boll of the Holy Prophets^ it is 
also as objectionable for Christians to embroider upon the very 
altar cloths within their temples the initials I. II. S. or I. N. B. I. 
Without any doubt the ground chosen by Mr. Ingraham is legiti- 
mate for the pen, and defensible. If this book, now attracting so 
much attention, be fairly read without prejudgment, the author 
will be fully justified in his subject, and commended for the rever- 
ence with which he has conceived and executed his task. In his 
preface, the author says he has u trod this holy ground with his 
shoes off his feet . 77 and with most cautious steps. The subject is 
one of infinite delicacy, and “ he trusts , 77 adds he, u that while he 
has sought to present (in order to attain the end he seeks) the Man 
Christ Jesus, he has not forgotten the 1 Godhead veiled in the 
flesh .’ 77 


RECOMMENDATIONS. 


7 


We have felt it our duty to make this defence of the “ Prince of 
the House of David ?J in justice to the book, and to disabuse the 
minds of intelligent Christians, who, prejudiced by adverse and 
unjust criticisms, might condemn the work unread by itself. No 
one who reads the book can lay it down without a more intimate 
knowledge of the New Testament histories, and without being a 
better man. 























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